BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Broadband: Cleveland

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many households in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency had access to broadband services  (a) in 2004 and  (b) at the latest date for which figures are available.

Patrick McFadden: The matter raised is the responsibility of the independent regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which is accountable to Parliament rather than Ministers. Accordingly, I have asked the chief executive of Ofcom to reply directly to the hon. Member. Copies of the chief executive's letter will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Departmental Absenteeism

Greg Hands: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many staff of his Department were recorded absent for non-medical reasons on  (a) 2 February 2009 and  (b) 3 February 2009; what estimate he has made of the (i) cost to his Department and (ii) number of working hours lost due to such absence; and what guidance his Department issued to staff in respect of absence on these days.

Patrick McFadden: It is not possible to provide exact numbers as annual leave and arrangements for absence are agreed locally between line managers and their staff. Asking each individual line manager in the Department for details would incur disproportionate cost.
	An estimate of the costs and working hours lost has not been completed and it would incur disproportionate cost to do so. However, the Department has assessed the proportion of staff able to work on the 2 and 3 February 2009. All departmental buildings were open on those dates. It is estimated that approximately 25 per cent. of staff attended the office. In addition, approximately 65 per cent. of staff have remote access to the Department's IT system and all London-based staff have remote telephony access and can access the office telephone system from home or elsewhere. It is estimated that approximately 10 per cent. of staff cannot work from home and were unable to work in any way on the days in question.
	Staff were issued with advice on travel information and reminded of departmental guidance on adverse weather and travel disruption. Where possible, staff made alternative arrangements with their line managers including
	Working flexibly or from home
	Different work patterns to ease disruption of public transport e.g. start work later
	Using annual leave
	Where line managers considered it was unreasonable to require staff to attend the office and it was impossible to work from home, managers had discretion to authorise staff to stay at home without loss of pay.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the initial estimated  (a) cost and  (b) delivery date for each ICT project initiated by his Department and its predecessor that cost more than £1 million was in each year since 2003-04; what the (i) outturn cost and (ii) completion date was of each such project subsequently completed; and how much has been paid to each contractor in respect of each project.

Patrick McFadden: For the last 10 years the vast majority of the Department's, and its predecessors, IT services have been provided through a PFI agreement with Fujitsu services and covers the provision of all desktop services, web infrastructure services, document management and other business applications. Many of these are charged for as part of overall, bundled, service charges. The Department also has in place an alternative IT framework agreement with a number of suppliers to enable competition where this is deemed appropriate. In addition, previously the responsibility for ICT was of a devolved nature and it is not therefore possible to provide all of the information requested without disproportionate cost. However, the information we do have available for ICT Projects costing over £1 million in each year since 2003-04 is as follows:
	
		
			  Project  Original estimate  (£ million)  Delivery date  Outturn (£ million)  Actual delivery  Main supplier  Notes 
			 Flexible Computing 9.1 March 2006 9 March 2008 Fujitsu Project was deferred until 2007 
			 Lynx 2.1 March 2008 1.8 March 2008 Logica/CMG  
			 HR Online 9.5 May 2008 10.6 March 2009 Cap Gemini Implementation delayed due to performance issues 
		
	
	Since 2003-04 all other ICT projects have either been delivered as part of the Fujitsu PFI contract or have cost less than £1 million.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps his Department has taken to address the effect on levels of carbon dioxide emissions from his Department of its ICT purchases since the publication of the Greening Government ICT Strategy; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: In order to reduce the levels of carbon dioxide emissions the Department has:
	Reduced the number of PCs within the Department on a ratio of eight PCs for every 10 staff.
	Introduced a printer/employee ratio of 1:20 for monochrome and 1:40 for colour printers.
	Reduced the number of desktop printers by over 800 with an associated reduction in consumables.
	Reduced the number of Exchange servers from 20 to eight
	Introduced improved power saving settings on all PCs and on printers
	Introduced automatic night time shut down on all PCs.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the average server capacity utilisation by each division of his Department and its predecessor was in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: The provision of IT services in my Department are outsourced to a number of suppliers on an array of IT server equipment. Under these arrangements, service level targets are specified and monitored to ensure high standards of service. The measurement of server capacity utilisation is not a contractual reporting requirement and so the information requested is not available.

Departmental Marketing

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Fareham of 4 February 2008,  Official Report, column 894W, on departmental marketing, how much the Insolvency Service has spent on promotional products since February 2008.

Patrick McFadden: The Insolvency Service spent approximately £11,480 on promotional products since February 2008.

Departmental Press

Mark Hoban: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much was spent on subscriptions to  (a) newspapers and  (b) magazines for delivery to the (i) constituency homes, (ii) London homes and (iii) other homes of Ministers in his Department in each year since 2005.

Patrick McFadden: Our records show that since 2005 no BERR funded newspapers or magazines have been delivered to any Minister's home.

Departmental Public Appointments

Harry Cohen: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what information his Department holds on the number of persons appointed to executive positions in bodies for which his Department has responsibility who previously had careers in the banking industry.

Patrick McFadden: We do not hold information centrally for those members of staff who previously had careers in the banking sector.

Departmental Temporary Employment

Justine Greening: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what his Department's policy is on the renewal of the contracts of  (a) temporary and  (b) agency staff.

Patrick McFadden: Temporary staff are staff that have been recruited on a short-term or fixed term civil service contract.
	The Civil Service Commissioners' Recruitment Code dictates that short-term appointments of 12 months made outside of fair and open competition can be extended up to a total of 24 months. Such extensions are considered only on an exceptional basis. Extensions of these types are not encouraged and BERR's policy requires line managers to write a business case to the Head of Recruitment to seek approval of an extension.
	Fixed term appointments (FTAs) are made through open competition. The person is employed until a specific date is reached, a specific event occurs or a specific piece of work is completed. FTAs are normally made for a period of one to three years and do not usually exceed a total period of four years. BERR's policy requires line managers to seek authority from the Head of Recruitment to extend or make permanent a fixed term appointment.
	Agency staff are new recruits that have joined the Department but are not on a civil service contract and are employed by a third party. The use of agency staff is delegated to line management units. Permission must be sought from an HR Business Partner to use agency staff to fill a post. They can only be used on an occasional basis, where there is a short-term business need and other options for filling a post have been considered. The extension of these contracts is not encouraged.

Departmental Training

Michael Penning: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether his Department has provided voice coaching to any of its employees in the last 12 months.

Patrick McFadden: Training budgets are delegated to line managers. Decisions are made locally on how the money is spent so this information is not held centrally.

Evening Standard

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether the Secretary of State absented himself from the decision on whether to issue an intervention notice under the Enterprise Act 2002 in the case of the proposed sale of the London  Evening Standard to Alexander Lebedev.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 20 April 2009
	No. Decisions about issuing an intervention on public interest grounds fall to be taken by my right hon. and noble Friend the Secretary of State as provided for in Section 42 of the Enterprise Act 2002. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 29 January 2009,  Official Report, column reference 762W, to the hon. Member for Croydon, South (Richard Ottaway) which noted that my right hon. and noble Friend the Secretary of State had no plans to issue an intervention notice on public interest grounds in this case.

India: Overseas Trade

David Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many officials of each grade in his Department visited India on official business  (a) in 2008 and  (b) in 2009 to date.

Patrick McFadden: The number of BERR officials by grade who visited India on official business in 2008 was:
	4—Range 6 (Executive Officer)
	8—Range 9 (Senior Executive Officer)
	21—Range 10 (Grade 7)
	11—Range 11 (Grade 6)
	12—Senior Civil Servant
	For the period January 2009 to March 2009, the number of BERR officials by grade who visited India was:
	2—Range 4 (Admin Officer)
	8—Range 8 (Higher Executive Officer)
	6—Range 9 (Senior Executive Officer)
	5—Range 10 (Grade 7)
	2—Range 11 (Grade 6)
	5—Senior Civil Servant
	All travel is undertaken in accordance with the Civil Service Code and Civil Service Management Code. In BERR the criteria for booking travel is value for money based on cost and convenience.

Israel: Overseas Trade

David Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many officials of each grade in his Department visited Israel  (a) in 2008 and  (b) in 2009 to date.

Patrick McFadden: The number of BERR officials by grade who visited Israel in 2008 was:
	2—Range 6 (Executive Officer)
	3—Range 9 (Senior Executive Officer)
	1—Range 10 (Grade7)
	1—Range 11 (Grade 6)
	2—Senior Civil Servant
	For the period January 2009 to March 2009, the number of BERR officials by grade who visited Israel was:
	1—Range 10 (Grade 7)
	All travel is undertaken in accordance with the Civil Service Code and Civil Service Management Code. In BERR the criteria for booking travel is value for money based on cost and convenience.

Maternity Leave

Maria Miller: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many and what proportion of new mothers went on maternity leave in each year since 1997.

Patrick McFadden: Information on the take-up of maternity leave in each year is not available.
	A new mother must take a minimum of two weeks' leave after the birth of her child. The most recent estimates of take-up of maternity leave are based on the maternity rights and mothers' employment decisions in Britain: Survey of Mothers, conducted in 2007. All the mothers surveyed took some time off following childbirth. The survey found 88 per cent. of new mothers took all their entitlement to paid statutory maternity leave.
	The survey is available in the House Libraries and at:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/rrs-index.asp

Members: Correspondence

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he plans to respond to the letter from the right hon. Member for West Derbyshire of 11 December 2008 on support for small businesses.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 20 April 2009
	I responded to the right hon. Member on 8 April.

Members: Correspondence

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when the Minister for Small Businesses plans to respond to the letter from the right hon. Member for West Derbyshire of 15 January 2009 on the Government's small business loan scheme.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 20 April 2009
	I responded to the right hon. Member on 6 April.

Members: Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Walsall North of 25 February 2009 with regard to a constituent; and what the reason is for the time taken to reply.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 20 April 2009
	I responded to my hon. Friend on 7 April. I apologise for the delay.

Mental Illness

Jo Swinson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the recommendations relevant to his Department's policy responsibilities made in the Foresight Report on Mental Capacity and Well-Being, with particular regard to those recommendations concerning flexible working; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: The Department was pleased to read the Foresight report and will be considering it with a view to taking up any relevant findings.
	Part of that process will involve an assessment of what the report might mean for BERR policy on absence management, well-being and flexible working and the Department will report on this in due course.

Paternity Leave

Maria Miller: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many and what proportion of new fathers went on paternity leave in each year since the right to such leave was introduced.

Patrick McFadden: Information on the take-up of paternity leave in each year is not available.
	The most recent estimates of take-up of paternity leave are based on the maternity rights and mothers' employment decisions in Britain: Survey of Mothers, conducted in 2007.
	The survey found 94 per cent. of employed fathers surveyed took some time off around the time of the birth. Of the fathers who took time off, 81 per cent. were paid for at least some of the time.
	The Government estimate that around 400,000 fathers are eligible for the entitlement.
	The survey is available in the House Libraries and at:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/rrs-index.asp

Regional Development Agencies: Official Hospitality

Anne Main: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  how much Advantage West Midlands has spent on hospitality and entertainment in each year since it was created;
	(2)  how much the East of England Development Agency has spent on hospitality and entertainment in each year since it was created;
	(3)  how much the East Midlands Development Agency has spent on hospitality and entertainment in each year since it was created;
	(4)  how much the South East England Development Agency has spent on hospitality and entertainment in each year since it was created;
	(5)  how much the London Development Agency has spent on hospitality and entertainment in each year since it was created;
	(6)  how much the North West Regional Development Agency has spent on hospitality and entertainment in each year since it was created;
	(7)  how much One North East has spent on hospitality and entertainment in each year since it was created;
	(8)  how much the South West of England Regional Development Agency has spent on hospitality and entertainment in each year since it was created;
	(9)  how much Yorkshire Forward has spent on hospitality and entertainment in each year since it was created.

Patrick McFadden: The following table shows the RDAs expenditure on hospitality and corporate entertainment since their creation to the last full financial year.
	
		
			  £ 
			  RDA  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 AWM 8,500 28,500 (1)163.500 8,600 8,900 8,000 15,816 43,862 10,541 
			 EEDA (2)— (2)— (2)— 5,849 11,608 11,118 12,534 7,153 12,126 
			 EMDA 284 17,870 6,510 38,722 48,344 48,301 48,185 20,077 14,781 
			 LDA (3)— 209 31,220 16,801 23,133 19,462 27,341 19,202 28,590 
			 NWDA 7,144 16,750 21,556 32,908 38,834 35,639 44,975 45,209 22,485 
			 ONE 6,659 2,849 30,853 50,644 40,360 34,600 40,421 38,324 35,048 
			 SEEDA 24,304 34,689 47,063 36,089 50,858 50,640 35,995 42,061 29,863 
			 SWRDA 8,937 13,045 17,723 25,362 17,065 20,552 21,531 17,785 22,600 
			 YF 3,405 20,095 19,616 44,992 64,428 39,276 29,397 42,460 25,767 
			  Notes: (1) Exceptional hospitality costs in respect of the 2002 Ryder Cup. (2) Before 2002-03, EEDA did not separately identify hospitality and corporate entertainment costs in accounts. To separate out this data would incur disproportionate cost. (3) LDA was set up in 2000.

Royal Mail: Pensions

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much Royal Mail receives in allowances for pension deficit recovery under its price control agreement with Postcomm.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 13 March 2009
	Postcomm included an allowance for Royal Mail to recover £288 million per annum from customers by way of price increases, increasing at inflation, for meeting pension deficit payments in the 2006-10 price control period.
	Actual deficit funding payments have been lower than were allowed in the price control, being £243 million in 2006-07, and £284 million in 2007-08 for the Royal Mail Group as a whole.
	Details of the rationale for the £288 million per annum allowance were given in Postcomm's Final Proposals document, which is available on its website at:
	http://www.psc.gov.uk/postcomm/live/policyandconsultations/documentsbydate/2005/Final_proposals_061205.pdf

Telecommunications: Security

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will have discussions with Ministerial colleagues on the resilience of the IT and telecommunications components of critical national infrastructure.

Patrick McFadden: Regular discussion takes place on IT resilience (including that of critical national infrastructure) between the Departments concerned at ministerial and official level as appropriate. Additionally, Government continue to work closely with the telecommunications sector and the regulator to ensure a high level of resilience—especially of UK critical national infrastructure—including through EC-RRG (the Electronic Communications-Resilience and Response Group—a joint industry Government forum), as well as through the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI), which provides dedicated advice to reduce the vulnerability of national infrastructure.
	Much information regarding resilience is commercially sensitive and inappropriate for public discussion. However, where possible information is published here:
	www.cpni.gov.uk
	and
	www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/ukresilience.aspx

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Building Schools for the Future Programme: Sixth Form Colleges

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 13 January 2009,  Official Report, column 636W, on the Building Schools for the Future programme: sixth form colleges, 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the adequacy and condition of the sixth form college estate;
	(2)  what funding has been allocated to sixth form colleges under the Building Schools for the Future programme for the period after 2010;
	(3)  whether a sixth form college located in a local authority area which has already received Building Schools for the Future funding will be able to receive such funding from 2010 onwards.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Pursuant to my answer of 13 January 2009,  Official Report, column 636W, I restate that we have made our intention clear to bring sixth form colleges within the scope of the Building Schools for the Future programme. This remains our position. We are considering detailed implications and will make these clear as soon as we are able.

Ofsted: Complaints

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many complaints  (a) Ofsted and  (b) his Department received from (i) schools and (ii) other education providers in respect of Ofsted inspections made without notice in the last four years for which figures are available.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Ofsted has recently conducted a small number of pilot no-notice school inspections and has received two complaints related to them. Ofsted also conducts some prison education and work-based education inspections without notice. It has not received any complaints related to them since April 2007, and does not hold earlier data.
	The Department has no role in relation to complaints about Ofsted inspections.

Pupils

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils of each age group received  (a) up to one hour,  (b) between one and two hours,  (c) between two and three hours and  (d) three hours or more one-to-one tuition in (i) all subjects and (ii) mathematics each week in the latest period for which figures are available.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: We do not currently collect or hold this level of information about the national implementation of one-to-one tuition.

Pupils

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of pupils in each age group have a personal learning guide or coach.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: As part of a package of measures to support personalised learning over the current comprehensive spending review period, the 2007 Budget announced that
	"every pupil should have access to a single member of staff—for example a class teacher, a form tutor, a Director of Studies, or a learning guide—who is able to co-ordinate a package of support that best helps that pupil".
	This commitment was reconfirmed in the Children's Plan which said that by 2010 every secondary school pupil should have access to a single member of staff (known as a Personal Tutor) who knows them in the round and coordinates a package of support best suited to their individual needs
	Officials are currently working closely with the Training and Development Agency for schools (TDA) to develop a package of support and guidance for schools and local authorities. This will enable schools to organise their existing resources in a way that best suits their individual needs to ensure that every secondary pupil has a Personal Tutor from September 2010.

Schools: Standards

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the contextual value added scores were of each school which achieved fewer than 30 per cent. five A* to C grades including English and mathematics at GCSE in 2008.

Jim Knight: The information is published in the achievement and attainment tables on the Department's website at the following link:
	http://www/dcsf.gov.uk/performancetables/schools_08.shtml
	This has also been placed in the House Libraries.

Schools: Standards

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which schools in each local authority are participating in the Gaining Ground initiative; which local authorities have entered schools for the initiative; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department does not hold a list of the schools that are participating in the Gaining Ground Initiative. To date LAs have held negotiations with schools on the basis that the details of schools that express an interest in the strategy will be held by National Strategies. It has been left to LAs to determine which schools could benefit from the support on offer, taking into account the criteria and their local knowledge of the schools. It is therefore for the LAs to decide whether or not to publish a list as part of their local accountability mechanism.

Teachers: Resignations

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many teachers left the profession before retirement age in each year since 1997.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The following table provides the total full and part-time headcount of regular teachers leaving service from local authority maintained schools in England before the normal age of retirement, 1997-98 to 2006-07, the latest information available.
	
		
			  Full and part-time headcount number of regular teachers( 1)  leaving service from the local authority maintained schools in England before the normal age of retirement( 2) , 1997-98 to 2006-07, coverage: England 
			   Out of service( 2) 
			 1997-98 37,020 
			 1998-99 32,150 
			 1999-2000 33,020 
			 2000-01 35,520 
			 2001-02 35,200 
			 2002-03 40,610 
			 2003-04 38,450 
			 2004-05 38,590 
			 2005-06(3) 39,600 
			 2006-07(3) 36,140 
			 (1 )10-20 per cent. of part-time teachers may not be included in the data. (2 )Teacher is no longer in service in the English maintained schools sector and is not receiving a pension or has left service with premature, actuarially reduced or ill heath retirement benefits. (3 )Provisional.  Source:  Database of Teacher Records and Pensioner Statistical System (PEN STATS)

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Young People: Local Democracy

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent steps her Department has taken to encourage young people to participate in local democratic decision-making processes.

Hazel Blears: My Department is very committed to increasing the participation of young people in the local democratic decision-making processes. I recently announced a £2 million fund to support around 20 new Young Mayor schemes across the country to give more young people aged 11 to 18 a say in their area, as well as experience of voting and decision-making.

Rent Receipts

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will make it her policy to permit local authorities to keep all receipts from rent paid by their tenants.

Iain Wright: We are currently undertaking a Review of Council Housing Finance that is due to report to Ministers later in the spring. This is considering the current Housing Revenue Account subsidy arrangements, and will include recommendations on the treatment of council rents. We will be consulting all stakeholders on the recommendations of the review. It would be inappropriate to pre-empt this exercise.

Sustainable Homes Code

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many Code homes have gained credits for security in each year since the Code for Sustainable Homes was introduced.

Iain Wright: Since July 2008 we have started collecting data on the credits gained on each Code home. 58 homes have gained credits for security as per the Code.

Regeneration: Yorkshire Forward

Eric Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent discussions she has had with Yorkshire Forward on regeneration initiatives.

Sadiq Khan: The Secretary of State has not had any discussions with Yorkshire Forward on regeneration initiatives. However, we are working closely with relevant regional agencies and local partners to monitor the conditions of key regeneration schemes.

Local Authorities: Icelandic Banks

Tom Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment she has made of the effect on local authorities of the collapse of Icelandic banks.

John Healey: This money is not lost, but at risk. I have made regulations to enable English authorities to postpone any possible budgetary impact of the capital loss until 2010-11 and to protect the public from potential service cuts or council tax increases this year.
	CLG has published a statistical release on local authority Icelandic Bank Investments as at 31 December 2008. This includes a full list of English local authorities affected. Revised figures were published on 6 April 2009 and are available at:
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/stats/iceland.htm

Regional Spatial Strategies

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she expects to make a decision on the approval of regional spatial strategies.

Iain Wright: The Secretary of State made an announcement recently stating her intention to issue the final versions of the last two outstanding RSSs undergoing a full revision:
	South East Regional Spatial Strategy at the end of April 2009; and
	South West Regional Spatial Strategy at the end of June 2009.

Local Authorities: Independence

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will bring forward legislative proposals to increase the independence from central government of local authorities; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: As explained in the answer I gave my hon. Friend on 18 November 2008,  Official Report, column 371W, the statutory independence of local government is set out in various Local Government Acts. An overall devolutionary approach will continue to underpin any local government legislation we bring forward.

Business Rates

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the effect on small businesses of changes in the level of business rates from April 2009.

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the effect on small businesses of changes in the level of business rates from April 2009.

John Healey: Although an Impact Assessment is not required where a predetermined formula, such as the rate of inflation, changes the rate of a tax, the Government have recognised that managing cash flow is a key concern for businesses in the current economic climate. This is why the Chancellor announced on 31 March that businesses will be allowed to pay just 2 per cent. of the RPI-linked 5 per cent. increase in their business rates bills in 2009-10. The remaining 60 per cent. can be deferred until 2010-11 and 2011-12.

Planning Applications: Supermarkets

Celia Barlow: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will take steps to provide members of the public with more powers in respect of planning applications made by supermarkets.

Iain Wright: There are statutory periods for public participation in the decision making process for planning applications. All applications must be publicised and there is a 21 day statutory period for comments. Local planning authorities are required to take into account timely relevant representations on applications and make public the reasons for decisions.
	Requirements for public participation in decision making on planning applications are the same for all types of applications. It would be inappropriate for planning applications from supermarkets to be dealt with differently.
	Existing national planning policy, as set out in Planning Policy Statement 6, also encourages developers, local authorities and local communities to work together to identify appropriate sites for retail development to ensure the viability and vitality of their town centres. This approach will be maintained in our forthcoming new policy statement on planning for economic prosperity, which will be published for consultation shortly.

Audit Commission: Icelandic Banks

Stephen Ladyman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions she has had with the Audit Commission on its findings in respect of the management by local authorities of their deposits in Icelandic banks; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: I met the chief executive of the Audit Commission to discuss its findings on 25 March. The Commission report says that our investment guidance appears to work well. It is important, however, that the guidance should be as clear as possible, and my officials are working with the Commission, CIPFA and the local authority associations to assess how it might be improved in light of the Audit Commission's findings and the forthcoming report from the CLG Select Committee.

FiReControl Project

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress has been made on the implementation of the FiReControl project.

Sadiq Khan: There has been notable progress made in delivering the FiReControl project by all delivery partners at the local, regional and national level. These include:
	fire and rescue authorities in each region coming together to establish local authority controlled companies to run the Regional Control Centres;
	eight out of nine highly resilient Regional Control Centre buildings built, with London on track for completion in February 2010; and
	a full programme to survey all Fire Stations to enable New Station End equipment is under way and to date 558 out of 1,410 have been completed.
	Further information on FiReControl is available at:
	www.communities.gov.uk/firecontrol

Band D Council Tax

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much Band D council tax has increased on average in  (a) England and  (b) South Bedfordshire in absolute and percentage terms since 1997-98.

John Healey: The average Band D council tax, including parish precepts, in South Bedfordshire has increased by £843 or 106 per cent. between 1997-98 and 2009-10. In England as a whole, the increases in the same period are £726 and 106 per cent.
	Because of the formation of the new Central Bedfordshire authority the figure used for 2009-10 is not strictly comparable with those for previous years.

Community Groups: Assets Transfer

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress has been made on her proposals for the transfer of assets to community groups.

John Healey: Since May 2007 good progress has been made in implementing the Quirk Review proposals on asset transfer. CLG has supported 50 local authority and community partnerships to facilitate asset transfer; and is funding an independent Asset Transfer Unit, to promote and advise on asset transfer across England. Investment of £30 million from the Cabinet Office is facilitating 38 transfers.

Regional Economy: South West

Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the steps the Government Office for the South West has taken to assist the regional economy in the current economic climate.

John Healey: Government office for the south west plays a key role in assisting the region in the current economic climate. It supports the Regional Minister, Ben Bradshaw, in leading a prompt response to sectoral, regional, and national problems; co-ordinates the South West Regional Economic Task Group (jointly with the south west regional development agency); provides intelligence to assist national and regional interventions; and communicates key national messages on the economy to regional and local audiences.

Home Information Pack Rules

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will make an assessment of the effect of the new home information pack rules on the housing market.

Iain Wright: The Home Information Pack (Amendment) (No.3) Regulations 2008 were accompanied by a regulatory impact assessment setting out our assessment of the effect of the new rules which came into force on 6 April 2009.

Council Tax

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the number of unitary authorities which have set their absolute rate of council tax since the establishment of unitary local government arrangements.

John Healey: All 56 unitary authorities in England have set their absolute rate of council tax in 2009-10. Details of the levels of council tax they set in 2009-10 are given in the statistical release Levels of Council Tax Set by Local Authorities : England 2009-10 that was published on the Communities and Local Government website on Thursday 26 March 2009. It can be found at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/statistics/counciltax200910

Council Tax

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much revenue was raised in absolute terms through the fire precept on council tax in each precepting authority in the last year for which figures are available.

John Healey: Information on the council tax requirement of precepting fire authorities in England in 2007-08 is as shown:
	
		
			  Fire authority  Council tax requirement in 2007-08 (£000) 
			 Avon Combined Fire Authority 19,068 
			 Bedfordshire Combined Fire Authority 15,159 
			 Berkshire Combined Fire Authority 16,142 
			 Buckinghamshire Combined Fire Authority 14,924 
			 Cambridgeshire Combined Fire Authority 13,812 
			 Cheshire Combined Fire Authority 22,376 
			 Cleveland Combined Fire Authority 9,377 
			 Derbyshire Combined Fire Authority 19,461 
			 Devon and Somerset Combined Fire Authority 37,856 
			 Dorset Combined Fire Authority 15,413 
			 Durham Combined Fire Authority 14,852 
			 East Sussex Combined Fire Authority 21,864 
			 Essex Combined Fire Authority 37,688 
			 Greater Manchester Fire and CD Authority 37,508 
			 Hampshire Combined Fire Authority 34,567 
			 Hereford and Worcester Combined Fire Authority 17,868 
			 Humberside Combined Fire Authority 19,888 
			 Kent Combined Fire Authority 37,925 
			 Lancashire Combined Fire Authority 26,707 
			 Leicestershire Combined Fire Authority 14,676 
			 Merseyside Fire and CD Authority 24,519 
			 North Yorkshire Combined Fire Authority 16,376 
			 Nottinghamshire Combined Fire Authority 20,601 
			 Shropshire Combined Fire Authority 11,782 
			 South Yorkshire Fire and CD Authority 20,241 
			 Staffordshire Combined Fire Authority 21,227 
			 Tyne and Wear Fire and CD Authority 22,412 
			 West Midlands Fire and CD Authority 34,767 
			 West Yorkshire Fire and CD Authority 31,661 
			 Wiltshire Combined Fire Authority 13,371 
			 Total 664,088 
			  Source: Communities and Local Government 2007-08 Revenue Outturn Forms.

Council Tax

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average percentage change was in the council tax precepts levied by  (a) district councils,  (b) county councils,  (c) London boroughs,  (d) unitary authorities,  (e) metropolitan boroughs and  (f) police authorities since 1997-98.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Castle Point (Bob Spink) on 31 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1043W.

Councillors: Vetting

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance  (a) her Department and  (b) the Standards Board has issued to local authorities on the undertaking of Criminal Records Bureau checks in respect of councillors who (a) have and (b) do not have responsibility for functions relating to children or vulnerable adults.

John Healey: While neither my Department, nor the Standards Board for England, has issued such guidance to local authorities about criminal record checks, guidance is available from the Criminal Records Bureau.

Fires

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people were rescued by the Fire and Rescue Service from  (a) all fires and  (b) dwellings fires in each (i) fire authority area and (ii) region in each of the last three years.

Sadiq Khan: Information on the number of people rescued (uninjured) from fires in England, by the Fire and Rescue Service, over the last three years is available in the table.
	
		
			  Rescues from fires in dwellings by FRS personnel( 1)  by year, England, 2005-07( 2) 
			   2005  2006  2007 
			  FRS area  Total  Dwelling  Other location  Total  Dwelling  Other location  Total  Dwelling  Other location 
			  England 3,590 3,173 417 3,838 3,366 472 3,504 3,084 420 
			   
			  North East 230 209 21 227 207 20 220 183 37 
			 Cleveland 39 37 2 44 44 0 24 24 0 
			 Durham 30 23 7 51 47 4 52 49 3 
			 Northumberland 13 13 0 13 13 0 5 3 2 
			 Tyne and Wear 148 136 12 119 103 16 139 107 32 
			   
			  North West 681 618 63 644 553 91 585 534 51 
			 Cheshire 63 63 0 75 70 5 40 40 0 
			 Cumbria 27 25 2 27 20 7 30 26 4 
			 Greater Manchester 311 275 36 266 217 49 222 197 25 
			 Lancashire 147 138 9 174 153 21 130 126 4 
			 Merseyside 133 117 16 102 93 9 163 145 18 
			   
			   
			  Yorkshire and The Humber 496 434 62 505 446 59 394 371 23 
			 Humberside 102 97 5 179 153 26 109 100 9 
			 North Yorkshire 48 47 1 41 36 5 26 24 2 
			 South Yorkshire 101 94 7 112 98 14 139 132 7 
			 West Yorkshire 245 196 49 173 159 14 120 115 5 
			   
			  East Midlands 271 240 31 247 215 32 209 194 15 
			 Derbyshire 46 43 3 44 39 5 40 37 3 
			 Leicestershire 42 42 0 43 40 3 48 46 2 
			 Lincolnshire 17 15 2 35 22 13 38 37 1 
			 Northamptonshire 53 47 6 19 18 1 22 21 1 
			 Nottinghamshire 113 93 20 106 96 10 61 53 8 
			   
			  West Midlands 327 297 30 302 277 25 355 313 42 
			 Hereford and Worcester 28 24 4 14 14 0 43 43 0 
			 Shropshire 23 15 8 8 8 0 20 20 0 
			 Staffordshire 53 48 5 67 65 2 107 79 28 
			 Warwickshire 14 14 0 49 43 6 24 24 0 
			 West Midlands 209 196 13 164 147 17 161 147 14 
			   
			  East of England 297 269 28 244 222 22 377 329 48 
			 Bedfordshire 66 62 4 50 46 4 26 26 0 
			 Cambridgeshire 34 32 2 33 33 0 36 30 6 
			 Essex 65 52 13 34 33 1 163 150 13 
			 Hertfordshire 49 47 2 61 49 12 82 80 2 
			 Norfolk 37 30 7 43 39 4 60 34 26 
			 Suffolk 46 46 0 23 22 1 10 9 1 
			   
			  Greater London 544 496 48 692 632 60 571 499 72 
			   
			  South East 469 373 96 534 474 60 439 363 76 
			 Berkshire 41 38 3 62 49 13 56 42 13 
			 Buckinghamshire 20 20 0 40 27 13 34 29 5 
			 East Sussex 86 78 8 47 40 7 118 84 34 
			 Hampshire 95 89 6 149 132 17 84 84 0 
			 Isle of Wight 7 4 3 1 1 0 2 2 0 
			 Kent 115 58 57 144 137 7 48 44 5 
			 Oxfordshire 26 23 3 12 12 0 23 21 2 
			 Surrey 40 31 9 47 47 0 28 16 12 
			 West Sussex 39 32 7 32 29 3 46 41 5 
			   
			  South West 275 237 38 443 340 103 354 298 56 
			 Avon 69 66 3 87 79 8 53 45 8 
			 Cornwall 12 10 2 9 6 3 50 49 1 
			 Devon 106 87 19 81 75 6 95 87 8 
			 Dorset 7 7 0 28 27 1 23 22 1 
			 Gloucestershire 25 23 2 40 28 12 34 18 16 
			 Somerset 22 21 1 122 88 34 55 39 16 
			 Wiltshire 34 23 11 76 37 39 44 38 6 
			 (1) Rescue figures are based on sampled, weighted data (2) Data for 2007 are provisional and subject to change  Source: DCLG Ref: 2009021_PM (2005-2007p).sas on 23 March 2009

Homelessness: Birmingham

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homeless  (a) children and  (b) adults are in temporary accommodation in (i) Birmingham Hall Green constituency and (ii) Birmingham City Council area.

Iain Wright: Information about English local authorities' actions under the homelessness legislation (Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996) is collected quarterly at local authority level, about households rather than individuals. Information is not collected at constituency level. Therefore, data are provided at the Birmingham city council area, but not for the Hall Green constituency. Data collected include the number of households accepted by local housing authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and therefore owed a main homelessness duty (to secure that suitable accommodation is available). If a settled home is not immediately available, the authority must secure temporary accommodation until a settled home becomes available.
	Information on the numbers of households housed in temporary accommodation is reported quarterly by local authorities as at the last day of each quarter. The figures include: those households which have been accepted as owed the main homelessness duty; those for which inquiries are pending; those being accommodated for a limited period because they have been found intentionally homeless and in priority need; those being accommodated pending possible referral to another authority, and those being accommodated pending the outcome of a local authority review or county court appeal.
	The number of dependent children (or expected children) in these households is also collected, but data on the number of adults are not. There were 452 households in temporary accommodation on the 31 December 2008, reported by Birmingham city council, of which 362 were households with dependent (and expected) children and in total 1,068 children (and expected children) within these households.

Housing: Crime Prevention

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 30 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 973-74W, on housing: crime prevention, for what reasons there are no plans to include measures to make buildings more resistant to crime in the next revision of the Building Regulations.

Iain Wright: In 2007, security measures were included in the Code for Sustainable Homes. We are currently monitoring the effectiveness of the code in driving up security standards in homes and are continuing discussions with other Government Departments and other stakeholders to ensure we identify the most effective way to make new buildings more resistant to crime. Any proposals to change building regulations would need to be considered by the Building Regulations Advisory Committee in due course and would be subject to public consultation once proposals have become sufficiently developed.

Local Government Finance

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether members of local authority independent remuneration panels are required to be resident in the local authority area.

John Healey: While there are no specific requirements about residency of remuneration panel members, the statutory guidance issued under the Local Government and Housing Act 1989, to which local authorities must have regard, provides that the members of a council's remuneration panel should be truly independent, well qualified to discharge the functions of the panel and representative of the diversity of the communities in the local authority's area.

Local Government: Equality

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what role her Department had in the drafting of the Equality Standard for Local Government.

John Healey: The "Equality Standard for Local Government" was developed by the Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA) together with the three Equality Commissions with input from the Audit Commission. A new "Equality Standard for Local Government" was published recently.

Local Government: Equality

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding regional improvement and efficiency partnerships have allocated to the development of the Equality Standard for Local Government in the last 12 months.

John Healey: The Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnerships (RIEPs) are devolved partnerships of councils and other local services. Information on funding allocations to the development strategy for local government is not held centrally.

Local Government: Pay

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what information her Department holds on the  (a) top,  (b) median and  (c) average salary of chief executives in (i) county and (ii) district councils in England.

John Healey: This information is not collected centrally. The salaries of local authority officials are matters for their individual local authority employer.

Local Government: Standards

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to her Department's National Indicators for Local Authorities and Local Authority Partnerships: Handbook of Definition, what recent discussions Government Offices for the Regions have had with local authorities on meeting National Indicator 14 on reducing avoidable contact.

Sadiq Khan: Recent discussions between Government offices for the regions and local areas on specific national indicators have focused on those indicators that feature as targets in individual local area agreements (LAA). There are no targets against national indicator 14 in any LAA and therefore it has not been the focus of such discussions. Performance against all national indicators will be reported later this year through the comprehensive area assessment led by the independent inspectorates.

Non-Domestic Rates: Business

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent estimate she has made of the number of firms eligible for transitional rate relief in each year of the 2005 to 2010 business rates rating cycle.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill) on 25 March 2009,  Official Report, column 484W.

Regional Assemblies

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in respect of which Government Office regions  (a) her Department and  (b) the relevant Government Office has been notified that the regional assembly is to be replaced by a Leaders' Board; and what the name and address of each such board will be.

John Healey: CLG and the relevant Government Offices have been notified of new governance working arrangements in the North East, Yorkshire and Humberside, South East and North West.
	These new bodies, or committees connected to them, will be recognised as the Regional Planning Body as an interim arrangement until commencement of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill when Local Authority Leaders' Boards following consultation by participating authorities on a scheme will be approved by the Secretary of State.
	The names and addresses of these new bodies are as follows:
	Association of North East Councils
	The Axis Building
	Maingate, Kingsway North
	Team Valley
	Gateshead
	NE11 0NQ
	Local Government Yorkshire and Humber
	18 King Street
	Wakefield
	West Yorkshire
	WF1 2SQ
	South East England Leaders Board
	Berkeley House
	Cross Lanes
	Guildford GU1 1UN
	4NW
	Wigan Investment Centre
	Waterside Drive
	Wigan
	WN3 5BA

Regional Planning and Development: South East

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the planned timetable is for the publication of the final version of the South East Plan.

Sadiq Khan: Our intention to publish the regional spatial strategy for the South East remains as stated to the hon. Member, in the answers given on 10 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1843W, and 23 February 2009,  Official Report, column 124W, that is publication in the spring.

Social Rented Housing

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 23 March 2009,  Official Report, column 79W, on the Tenant Services Authority, 
	(1)  how many people attended each regional National Conversation event for tenants;
	(2)  how many invitations were sent for each National Conversation event for landlords; and how many people attended each event.

Iain Wright: The primary objective of the TSA is championing the needs and aspirations of tenants, developing a genuinely tenant focused regulatory regime. From January to March 2009, the TSA used a number of techniques to find out what tenants thought about their landlords and their services.
	This was called the National Conversation and consisted of regional events organised by the TSA; 'local conversations' organised by tenants/landlords; a campervan that captured tenants' views by video clip; questionnaires; and online forums.
	Invitations were not disseminated by region. Peter Marsh, TSA chief executive, wrote to all landlords (with stock holdings of more than 250 units) inviting them to participate in the regional National Conversation events. The total number of letters sent was 1,144.
	With regards to the number of attendees, I refer the hon. Member to the reply by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Housing (Margaret Beckett) to my hon. Friend the Member for Luton, South (Margaret Moran) on 23 March 2009,  Official Report, column 79W.

Social Rented Housing: Foreigners

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she expects her Department to have completed its collection of data on social lets to foreign nationals; and when she plans to publish the data.

Iain Wright: Data on social lets are collected through the Continuous Recording of Lettings (CORE) on behalf of the Tenant Services Authority and Communities and Local Government. Tables giving estimates for 2007-08, adjusted for missing local authority data, will be published shortly. These will include information on social lets to foreign nationals.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Science Museum

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will take steps to increase the operational independence of the Science museum.

Barbara Follett: holding answer 20 April 2009
	In common with other national museums, the Science Museum already has a high level of operational independence from Government, with its own director, management board and board of trustees. The museum has also established a trading company which allows it to operate on a more commercial basis. We have regular dialogue with the museum on a range of issues, including how we can continue to find more flexible ways of working, while maintaining appropriate good practice for a body in receipt of Government funding.

Departmental Information and Communications Technology

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the  (a) energy consumed by,  (b) energy cost of and  (c) carbon dioxide emissions from each category of IT device in each division of his Department in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: DCMS has not carried out a monitoring exercise to establish the effect of our IT procurement on consumption; energy cost and carbon dioxide emissions.
	We will be rebaselining our ICT energy consumption as part of our Green ICT strategy to inform future direction.

Departmental Information and Communications Technology

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps his Department has taken to address the effect on levels of carbon dioxide emissions from his Department of its ICT purchases since the publication of the Greening Government ICT Strategy; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: DCMS has adopted the majority of recommendations of the Greening Government ICT Strategy. In particular, we have installed an IT power management solution which turns off inactive PCs.
	We use established standards such as Energy Star in our procurement to ensure our hardware is energy efficient.

Departmental Information and Communications Technology

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the average server capacity utilisation by each division of his Department was in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: It is not possible to provide this information save at disproportionate cost. As part of the Department's Green ICT Strategy we are setting a baseline expectation for server capacity utilization in line with industry best practice.

Departmental Information and Communications Technology

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many  (a) printers and  (b) multi-function devices with printing functions were in use in each division of his Department in each of the last five years; how many such devices had a function enabling two-sided printing; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: My Department has 15 printers of which five have a function allowing two-sided printing and 30 multifunctional devices all of which have the function. Two-sided printing is set as a default for the multifunctional devices.

Departmental Information and Communications Technology

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate has been made of the proportion of personal computers in each of his Department's offices that are turned off  (a) overnight,  (b) at weekends and  (c) during holiday periods; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: My Department does not record this information. Its policy has been that all PCs are turned off at the end of each working day. My Department has led the cross-government procurement of an automated solution to ensure that all PCs are automatically turned off overnight, at weekends and over holidays.

Departmental Information and Communications Technology

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many and what proportion of IT products in each category procured for each division of his Department were compliant with the Government's Buy Sustainable-Quick Win standard in the latest year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: My Department's purchasing strategy is congruent with OGC standards.

Sports: Finance

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  how much funding his Department provided to amateur sports clubs in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the North East and  (d) England in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how much funding his Department provided for evening sports clubs for young people in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the North East and  (d) England in each year since 1997;
	(3)  how much funding his Department  (a) has provided in each year since 1997 and  (b) plans to provide in each of the next three years for sport in (i) Jarrow constituency, (ii) South Tyneside, (iii) the North East and (iv) England in each year since 1997.

Gerry Sutcliffe: My Department has provided the following Exchequer funding to Sport England since 1997-98.
	
		
			   Grant in aid draw-down (£ million) 
			 1997-98 33.758 
			 1998-99 33.341 
			 1999-2000 37.523 
			 2000-01 38.323 
			 2001-02 43.162 
			 2002-03 80.324 
			 2003-04 44.572 
			 2004-05 74.456 
			 2005-06 78.963 
			 2006-07 102.500 
			 2007-08 113.296 
			 2008-09 133.163 
			 Total 813.381 
		
	
	Sport England are responsible for allocating this funding to benefit community sport. They do not routinely break down their Exchequer funding information beyond a regional level, e.g. beyond the North East, or designate sports clubs into 'amateur' or 'evening' for the purposes of data collection.
	With regards to regional data, Sport England advise that information before 2002-03 could be provided only at a disproportionate cost. They advise that the North East has received a total of £6,423,837 of direct Exchequer funding since 2002-03, of which, £1,174,286 was directly awarded to sports clubs. Sport, and sports clubs across the country, including in the North East, will also have benefited from initiatives such as the Community Club Development Programme which are delivered through national governing bodies, applied to directly, but which are not included in these sums.
	Information on lottery funding for sport in the Jarrow constituency, South Tyneside, the North East and the UK in each year since 1997 can be found on the national lottery grants database at:
	http://www.lottery.culture.gov.uk
	From April 2009, sports clubs and other sporting organisations will be able to apply for direct funding from a consolidated number of lottery and Exchequer funding streams, including Sportsmatch. Applications for this funding will be accepted from 1 April 2009 and full information is available on Sport England's website at:
	http://www.sportengland.org
	In addition, clubs will benefit from the funding that Sport England recently announced for national governing bodies of around £120 million per year, in order to drive their strategic aims in relation to sport of 'grow, sustain, excel'.
	For young people specifically, the North East will also benefit from the £783 million the Government will be investing in the national PE and School Sport for Young People strategy from 2008-11, bringing total investment (including lottery funding) to over £2.4 billion between 2003 and 2011.

DEFENCE

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of each type of armoured vehicle are available to the armed forces; from which companies each type of vehicle was purchased; and what the average estimated life cycle cost of each type is as a percentage of the purchase price.

Quentin Davies: The armoured and partially armoured (protected) vehicles currently available to the armed forces and the companies from which they were purchased are provided in the following table:
	
		
			  Vehicle  Company  Number in service 
			 AS90 BAE Systems (formerly Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd.) 144 
			 Challenger 2 BAE Systems (formerly Alvis Vickers) 383 
			 CRAARV BAE Systems (formerly Vickers) 81 
			 CVR(T) BAE Systems (formerly Alvis Vickers) 1,200 
			 Fuchs Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH 11 
			 FV 430 (Mk2 + Bulldog) BAE Systems (formerly Alvis Vickers) 1,487 
			 Saxon BAE Systems (formerly Alvis Vickers) 147 
			 Shielder Alliant Techsystems Incorporated 30 
			 Stormer BAE Systems (formally Alvis) 115 
			 Titan BAE Systems (formerly Alvis Vickers) 29 
			 Trojan BAE Systems (formerly Alvis Vickers) 30 
			 Warrior BAE Systems (formerly Alvis Vickers) 793 
			 Mastiff US Department of Defense (then integrated by NP Aerospace) 157 
			 Panther IVECO & BAE Systems 401 
			 Ridgback US Department of Defense (then integrated by NP Aerospace) 20 
			 Snatch 2a and Snatch VIXEN NP Aerospace 645 
			 Vector BAE Systems 178 
			 Viking BAE Systems (formally Hagglunds) 116 
		
	
	Information on the average estimated whole life costs as a percentage of the purchase price is not available for many of the older vehicles because much of the data are no longer held. For the newer vehicles procured as Urgent Operational Requirements (UORs), while support costs are considered, predicted whole life costs are generally not calculated as a precursor to the procurement. This is because the speed of delivery of this equipment is the absolute priority in these cases and the capability may be so specific to the threat that we do not expect to retain it beyond the operation. We are able to provide the information requested for the more recent non-UOR projects, Panther, Titan and Trojan, which is provided in the following table:
	
		
			  Vehicle  Procurement cost (£ million)  Estimated whole life cost (WLC) (£ million)  WLC as percentage of procurement cost 
			 Panther 230 70 30 
			 Titan and Trojan 340 100 30

Departmental ICT

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what major IT programmes  (a) his Department and  (b) each of its agencies is undertaking; and what the most recent estimate of (i) the cost and (ii) the completion date of each is.

Quentin Davies: Using £100 million as a nominal threshold for determining major programmes, the following table provides information on the major programmes included in the MOD Non Equipment Investment Plan. It should be noted that many front line equipment programmes also have IT elements embedded within them; our agencies have no IT programmes of the relevant magnitude.
	
		
			  Programme  Current estimated cost  Current estimated completion date 
			 Defence Information Infrastructure (Future)—DII(F) £4.5 billion is the approved programme cost of the four DII(F) increments on contract at this time; £7.1 billion is the estimated cost of the whole programme over 10 years, including all seven increments; departmental and programme management costs; legacy systems costs and separately funded but essential programmes upon which DII depends. March 2015 
			 Defence Fixed Telecommunication Service—DFTS £1.8 billion 1 April 2005 to 31 July 2012 
			 Defence Electronic Commerce System—DECS £243 million. This is an estimate of the total money that will be paid for the DECS service but excludes services that are provided under separate approvals, but use a part of the DECS architecture. First services went live in July 2002. Contract expires in July 2012. 
			 Management of the Joint Deployed Inventory—MJDI £180.2 million up to 31March 2017 Delivery of fully operating software December 2011. Completion of roll-out to all frontline units Q1 2014. 
			 Whole Fleet Management related IT project Joint Asset Management and Engineering Solutions (JAMES) £120.085 million. The cost provided is the latest estimate for the development and delivery of JAMES 1, ELC (Equipment Loading Capability) and JAMES Land over the 10-year period 2004-05 to 2014-15. 4th quarter 2014-15 
			 Defence Medical Information Capability Programme—DMICP £99.210 million. The programme is a combination of Business Change and IT, and both activities are included in the cost. June 2016

Departmental Mobile Phones

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) BlackBerrys and  (b) other mobile telephones have been provided to (i) Ministers, (ii) special advisers and (iii) civil servants in his Department in each year since 2005.

Quentin Davies: The number of BlackBerrys and mobile telephones provided in each year since 2005 is shown in the following table. It covers the combined number of devices provided to Ministers, special advisers, civil servants and members of the armed forces.
	
		
			   Total number of mobile phones  Total number of  BlackBerry  devices 
			 2005 21,891 — 
			 2006 24,994 — 
			 2007 29,943 — 
			 2008 34,684 566 
		
	
	In the last year two BlackBerrys and one mobile telephone were provided to Ministers, and two BlackBerrys and one mobile telephone to special advisers. It has not been possible to separate further the numbers provided to each group.

Pakistan: Al Qaeda

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he was first informed of the suspected death of Mr. Rashid Rauf following a US air strike on the village of Ali Khel on 22 November 2008.

John Hutton: The Ministry of Defence first learned of his suspected death from media reporting coming out of Pakistan.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Civil Servants: Conditions of Employment

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which  (a) positions and  (b) pay bands within the Home Civil Service have terms and conditions of employment which stipulate that post holders must not undertake external paid employment in their own time; what restrictions apply in each case; and for what reasons such restrictions apply.

Tom Watson: The rules for civil servants relating to the acceptance of external paid employment are set out in the Civil Service Management Code. Copies are available in the Library.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Greg Clark: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster for how long the Cabinet Office has followed the Carbon Trust's Carbon Management programme.

Tom Watson: The Cabinet Office has followed the Carbon Trust's Carbon Management Programme since September 2006.

Departmental Computers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many laptop computers have been provided to  (a) Ministers,  (b) special advisers and  (c) civil servants in (i) his Department and (ii) the Prime Minister's Office in each year since 2005; and at what cost.

Tom Watson: The number of laptops being used to support the work of the Cabinet Office in each year since 2005 is shown:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2005 543 
			 2006 739 
			 2007 945 
			 2008 935 
		
	
	Records covering the total cost to the public purse are not held centrally and so the information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Our records do not differentiate between laptop computers provided to Ministers, special advisers and civil servants.
	The Prime Minister's Office is an integral part of the Cabinet Office.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will place in the Library a copy of the Green ICT Scoreboard; and if he will make a statement.

Tom Watson: The Green ICT Scorecard is an assessment methodology and database belonging to Gartner Consulting. It was used to help departments develop their action plans to implement the Greening Government ICT strategy. A summary of the action plans will be published later this year together with progress made against the strategy and copies will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Departmental Mobile Phones

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much has been spent on  (a) the purchase of and  (b) bills for (i) BlackBerrys and (ii) other mobile telephones for (A) Ministers, (B) special advisers and (C) civil servants in (1) his Department and (2) the Prime Minister's Office in each year since 2005.

Tom Watson: Records covering the cost of purchase and billing for BlackBerrys and other mobile telephony are not held centrally and so the information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Our records do not differentiate between mobile devices supplied to Ministers, special advisers and civil servants.
	The Prime Minister's Office is an integral part of the Cabinet Office.

Government Departments: Telephone Services

Martin Salter: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what information his Department holds on the number of Government departments and agencies which require people to dial a premium rate number to contact them; what plans the Government has to replace such use of 0845 numbers with numbers that charge a local or national rate; and if he will make a statement.

Tom Watson: The Cabinet Office, through the Contact Council, is currently conducting a survey of the different number types, such as 0845, 0870 or 0800, used by central Government Departments and agencies. Each Department is currently responsible for their own numbering strategy, and it is their responsibility to ensure that all citizens—whatever their incomes—can afford to make contact. The council intends to use the results of its numbering survey to steer a future cross-government approach to the use of phone numbers. Consideration of the use of 0845 numbers, which are defined by Ofcom as "special service basic rate numbers" will form part of this methodology. As far as the Contact Council is currently aware, no central government department operates a premium rate number—defined by Ofcom as a number beginning either '090' or '091'—and if they do this will be identified during the aforementioned numbering survey.

Non-departmental Public Bodies

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  how many non-departmental public bodies there were in  (a) 1997,  (b) May 2007 and  (c) February 2009;
	(2)  how many staff of non-departmental public bodies were employed in  (a) 1997,  (b) May 2007 and  (c) February 2009.

Tom Watson: In 1997 there were 1,128 non-departmental public bodies sponsored by the UK Government employing approximately 106,400 staff. By 2007 this had fallen to 827 non-departmental public bodies employing around 96,500 staff. Figures for 2009 will be published in due course.

Public Consultation

Andrew Miller: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what recent steps his Department has taken to assist members of the public to use interactive digital technology in order to participate in the development of government policy.

Tom Watson: The Power of Information Taskforce published their final report containing 25 challenging recommendations on how Government should proceed with Digital Engagement on 2 March 2009. It can be found online at:
	http://poit.cabinetoffice.gov.uk
	It was initially published in a 'beta' state, where it was open for public comment for two weeks before the taskforce finalised their report.
	Copies of the report have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Animal Feed: Imports

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to ensure that imports of animal feed ingredients are derived from sustainable sources.

Jane Kennedy: The feed industry is free to source its materials as it sees fit, subject to the materials being safe for their intended uses, in accord with the industry's assurance schemes and codes of practice, and taking into account normal commercial considerations such as the price and availability of materials and the preferences of its customers.

BSE

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce the incidence of bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

Jane Kennedy: Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is a notifiable disease. The epidemic in Great Britain peaked with 37,056 clinical cases in 1992. In 2008 there were 33 BSE cases detected either as clinical cases or through the testing programme, a 38 per cent. decline compared to 2007. Most cases of BSE have been detected in cattle born before the animal feed controls were reinforced in 1996.
	The ban on feeding ruminant meat and bone meal to ruminants is the key animal health control for BSE. In 2008, Animal Health carried out 2,322 feed inspections and collected 9,598 feed samples to enforce the ban in Great Britain. Animal Health continues to implement other BSE controls including the killing and disposal of animals which may have consumed the same feed as a BSE case and of the recent offspring of female BSE cases. The Food Standards Agency is responsible for ensuring the removal of specified risk material from the food chain, which is the key public health control for BSE.

Cattle: Animal Diseases

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce the incidence of anthrax in cattle.

Jane Kennedy: The incidence of anthrax in cattle in the United Kingdom is low. There have been six confirmed incidents of anthrax (with seven cattle affected) in the last 10 years. The last confirmed incident in cattle involved two cattle in Wales in April 2006. This needs to be viewed in the context of a UK cattle population of circa 10 million cattle.
	During the first three quarters of 2008-09 official veterinarians and veterinary officers undertook 3,862 anthrax investigations (in all species) where anthrax was a possible differential diagnosis (generally unexplained sudden death) with no confirmed cases detected. Forth quarter figures are still being collated. Investigation and control of anthrax disease is one of Animal Health's performance targets on which it reports to DEFRA's Food and Farming Group and during its quarterly liaison meetings with DEFRA.
	The number of investigations undertaken suggests that awareness of the need to report possible suspect cases is high among the farming and veterinary professions.
	DEFRA's Veterinary Exotic Notifiable Diseases Unit have recently been reviewing their desk instructions relating to anthrax and Animal Health are currently developing a revised comprehensive training package for use in training new and existing official veterinarians and veterinary officers. In parallel with this Animal Health are looking at reviewing their Operations Manual instructions to incorporate some of this material and identify any areas where instructions could be improved/updated (e.g. in terms of contingency planning for disposal of suspect carcases, such as compiling a register of local authorities with access to portable incineration equipment etc.).
	Information about anthrax is available on the DEFRA website.

Dogs

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what contact his Department has had for monitoring purposes with businesses operating dog rental schemes in England in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: We have had no such contact.

Domestic Waste: Waste Disposal

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 2 February 2009,  Official Report, column 974W, on waste management: South East, what advice the Waste Improvement Network has given to local authorities on the frequency of collection of household waste.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Peterborough (Mr. Jackson) on 27 March 2009,  Official Report, column 789W.

Farmers: Markets

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what schemes he supports to promote farmers' markets and local produce in Lancaster and Wyre constituency.

Jane Kennedy: The Government support local markets of all types including farmers markets.
	Funding is available for opening new marketing opportunities for agricultural and forestry products, putting the emphasis on quality under Axis 1 of the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE). Under Axis 3 of the RDPE, funding is available for the promotion of tourism activities linked to quality regional and local food culture.
	Since 2002, the North West Development Agency (NWDA) has supported Made in Lancashire, an organisation specifically designed to promote Lancashire's local and speciality food producers. They work with producers, retailers and food service outlets to bring Lancashire's local food to market, including promoting the county's farmer's markets, such as those held at Poulton-Le-Fylde and Thornton. Made in Lancashire also worked closely with Lancashire and Blackpool Tourist Board in helping to create the "Taste of Lancashire" accreditation scheme.
	The NWDA seeks to use funding provided by the European Regional Development Fund to continue the support of this high growth area.
	The NWDA also supports Food Northwest; a strategic body representing the Northwest Food and Drink Industry. Food Northwest aims to boost growth of the industry, and help the sector maximise its economic potential through training workshops, 'meet the buyer' events and other activities.

Farmers: Markets

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding his Department has made available for the promotion of farmers' markets in 2008-09.

Jane Kennedy: Our support for the sector continues with the award, in January 2008, of funding under the Agriculture Development Scheme to the National Farmers' Retail and Markets Association (FARMA). This funding of £176,000 over three years is for a project to develop a national producer verification scheme for farmers' markets and an assurance scheme for farm shops. As a result of this project, we hope that the combination of producer verification with the farmers' market certification scheme will result in strengthened consumer confidence in farmers' markets.
	Funding is also available to support rural retail in Merseyside (under which the businesses involved in farmers' markets would benefit) through the Rural Development Programme for England. The North West Development Agency is responsible for administering this funding programme through which £2 million will be invested over the next five years.

Food Supply

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what contingency plans his Department has to ensure the security of food supply.

Jane Kennedy: DEFRA works closely with the food industry to deal with disruption to the food supply should the need arise, and meets the sector regularly to promote business continuity management. The sector has robust and resilient business continuity plans to deal with any threat of disruption. These plans have been tested in cross-Government exercises, in which the food industry participated. DEFRA also participates in the cross-Government programme of work to prepare for emergencies. Further detail on this programme can be found on the UK Resilience website.

Foot and Mouth Disease

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce the incidence of foot and mouth disease.

Jane Kennedy: Since the 2007 foot and mouth outbreak Government have accepted recommendations from both the Callaghan and Anderson reviews.
	Sir Iain Anderson was invited by the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State to conduct an independent review of the 2007 FMD outbreak on the most effective and efficient way to learn the lessons of FMD outbreaks quickly and respond accordingly. The Government have accepted all 26 recommendations. The full response is available on the DEFRA website.
	Sir Bill Callaghan was requested by the Government to chair a review of the regulatory framework for animal pathogens, his review was published in December 2007. DEFRA was responsible for implementing phases 1 and 2 of the Callaghan review and responsibility for inspections of labs transferred to the Health and Safety Executive on 1 April 2008.
	More details of reviews and measures, and the Government's response and actions, are available on DEFRA's website.
	DEFRA also continue to control imports. No livestock imports are permitted from countries with foot and mouth and meat is only permitted from countries where FMD is present under strict guidelines issued by the World Organisation for Animal Health and only from areas of that country that are free of disease. The rules also ensure meat does not come from any animal that may have had contact with FMD before, during or after slaughter.
	More generally we continue to encourage, through livestock market road shows, good on-farm biosecurity to help prevent the spread of disease, including foot and mouth.

Lighting: Carbon Emissions

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate his Department has made of the effect on the level of UK carbon dioxide emissions of the replacement of traditional light bulbs by energy efficient light bulbs in  (a) domestic and  (b) non-domestic properties.

Jane Kennedy: The Government have a number of measures in place that have increased, and will continue to increase the market penetration of the most energy efficient lamps, particularly compact fluorescent lamps, in replacement of energy-inefficient incandescent lamps.
	The Government's Market Transformation Programme (MTP) estimated the resultant savings of these policies in its Policy Analysis and Projections publication of July 2008available at:
	www.mtprog.com/cms/whitepaper/
	The combined annual savings resulting from these actions was 4.2 MtCO2 per annum by 2020 for commercial and street lighting, and 4.6 MtCO2 per annum in 2020 for domestic applications.
	Through a regulation under the Framework Directive for the Eco-design of Energy-using Products (EuP), to be formally adopted in April 2009, inefficient incandescent lamps for household use will be taken off the market in stages between September 2009 and 2012. Analysis based on MTP modelling indicates that this action will result in savings of over 1 million tonnes of CO2 per annum by 2020 on top of the measures already in place.
	A separate, recently-adopted regulation on tertiary lighting under the EuP Framework which, by removing the least efficient office and street lighting products from the market, will deliver a further 1 million tonnes of CO2 savings by 2020.

Livestock: Waste Disposal

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will take steps to facilitate the use of bio-digestion as a method of disposal of fallen stock.

Jane Kennedy: Under the EU animal by-products regulation bio-digestion is not a permitted route for disposal of fallen stock. However, the regulation does provide for alternative methods of disposal to be approved following a positive opinion as to their safe use as a disposal route by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Research is currently ongoing on possible use of bioreducer systems and anaerobic digestion as a means of containing and treating fallen stock prior to their final disposal by rendering or incineration. The Government support such research and will help facilitate the submission of well founded cases to EFSA for consideration as approved alternative methods for containment of fallen stock.

Livestock: Waste Disposal

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he plans to introduce on-farm storage of fallen stock.

Jane Kennedy: The EU animal by-products regulation requires fallen stock to be disposed of without undue delay. Pending collection for disposal, carcases should be held in such a way that domestic animals (including farmed livestock) and wild animals cannot gain access to them. In practice, it would be reasonable to expect them to be held securely, such as in an enclosed building, or an area away from livestock under a suitable cover, such as a tarpaulin. For the future, the Government support research into bioreducer systems which, if accepted as an alternative method of containment for fallen stock under the above regulation, may make it possible to contain and treat fallen stock on farm safely for a longer period pending its eventual collection for disposal by rendering or incineration.

Members: Correspondence

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he plans to reply to the letter of 22 January 2009 from the hon. Member for Northavon, sent on behalf of Miss D. Moore of Hinton, on buy one get one free schemes.

Jane Kennedy: I responded to the hon. Member's letter on 20 April and apologise for the delay in doing so.

Packaging: Waste Disposal

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to encourage appropriate biodegradable packaging of products.

Jane Kennedy: Switching from using oil-based plastics to genuinely biodegradable renewable polymers/bioplastics can deliver environmental benefits, providing they are appropriately handled after disposal. DEFRA works closely with the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) to develop policy in this area. The DECC-sponsored National Non-Food Crops Centre (NNFCC) has established a Thematic Working Group to bring together those involved in the renewable polymer supply chain, to help realise the economic and environmental benefits of renewable polymer technologies and products.
	In addition, NNFCC, the DEFRA funded Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and the Association for Organics Recycling (formerly the Composting Association) have been contributing to a 'Green Alliance' project, under the 'Closing the Loop' umbrella, looking specifically at biodegradable packaging. A guidance note and web based information tool has been developed. These are on the Green Alliance website and can be viewed via:
	http://www.green-alliance.org.uk/waste-content.aspx?id=2340
	They set out considerations to be taken into account when deciding which packaging applications are most suited to biodegradable compostable materials and highlight some of the disposal issues which need to be overcome to ensure the materials are properly disposed of at end of life.

Reservoirs

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the reservoir capacity in England and Wales was in  (a) 1989 and  (b) January 2009.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The reservoir capacity in 1989 cannot be calculated without incurring disproportionate cost.
	The total capacity of water company reservoirs in England and Wales which fall under the Reservoirs Act 1975 (large raised reservoirs with a capacity of 25,000 cu m of water or more above natural ground level) was around 2,316 million cu m in January 2009.

Water: Meters

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the cost of installing individual water meters in each unmetered domestic property in England.

Huw Irranca-Davies: My Department has not made such an estimate. Research undertaken by WRc plc in 2007 based on water company data found that installation costs per meter vary from around 50 for the replacement of an existing meter to around 230 or more for a new installation.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Departmental Records

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the answer of 23 June 2008,  Official Report, column 150W, on the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000, what the  (a) prefix and  (b) title is of each file held by his Department on (i) the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000 and (ii) Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Bill of Session 1999-2000; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: The Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000 is an Act which deals with tackling fuel poverty. Before the formation of the Department of Energy and Climate Change, responsibility for fuel poverty policies, and therefore matters connected to the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Bill/Act was shared between the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and their predecessor Departments. Files relating to the subject matter of this question are located in the filing systems of the predecessor Departments as well as the current Department.
	To establish the total number of files relating to the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act/Bill would require a trawl of a significant number of files which could only be carried out at disproportionate cost. For this reason it is not considered reasonable to provide a list of all the files on the subject matter of this question.

Housing: Insulation

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much has been spent by his Department on the development of energy efficient insulation  (a) technology and  (b) initiatives to assist households since its establishment.

Joan Ruddock: Funding to encourage take-up of energy efficiency measures in Great Britain is available primarily through two schemes: the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) and Warm Front, but only Warm Front is funded from the public purse. The following table illustrates the investment made by Warm Front in insulation measures to improve the energy efficiency of householders over 60 in (a) Test Valley, (b) the ceremonial county of Hampshire and (c) the city of Southampton in each year since 2005.
	CERT is operated and funded by the six major energy suppliers, which are required to meet targets by encouraging households to take-up energy efficiency measures, including insulation and high-efficiency lights and appliances. Ofgem, the scheme administrator, does not collect data on energy supplier spend. However, based on the costs of the measures promoted by suppliers, we estimate that the overall spend by suppliers on delivering their CERT obligations across Great Britain will exceed 3 billion over the period 2008-11.
	
		
			   
			   Over 60  Under 60  Total 
			  Test Valley
			 2004-05 29,910.11 10,886.54 40,796.65 
			 2005-06 25,421.34 11,034.44 36,455.78 
			 2006-07 50,461.79 23,425.01 73,886.80 
			 2007-08 14,337.19 6,059.82 20,397.01 
			 2008-09 14,437.33 7,584.35 22,021.68 
			 
			  Ceremonial county of Hampshire
			 2004-05 653,684.31 544,569.40 1,198,253.71 
			 2005-06 378,468.46 297,446.54 675,915.00 
			 2006-07 404,556.32 213,609.24 618,165.56 
			 2007-08 278,360.25 154,906.72 433,266.97 
			 2008-09 295,344.54 174,809.20 470,153.74 
			 
			  Southampton
			 2004-05 158,144.74 129,960.42 288,105.16 
			 2005-06 67,293.48 54,848.91 122,142.39 
			 2006-07 25,705.02 20,117.48 45,822.50 
			 2007-08 44,191.51 29,759.13 73,950.64 
			 2008-09 54,065.97 33,657.68 87,723.65

Members: Correspondence

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Northavon of 19 December 2008 on behalf of Mr. and Mrs. Wilson of Old Sodbury.

Joan Ruddock: I replied to the hon. Member for Northavon on 13 April. I apologise for the delay, which was due to departmental reorganisation.

Nuclear Safety Advisory Committee

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will place in the Library a copy of the Nuclear Safety Advisory Committee's most recent annual report.

Jonathan R Shaw: I have been asked to reply.
	A copy of the Nuclear Safety Advisory Committee's report FOR 2007-08 is published on the HSE's website and a copy has been placed in the Library.

Nuclear Safety Advisory Committee

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which bodies are undertaking work formerly undertaken by the Nuclear Safety Advisory Committee.

Jonathan R Shaw: I have been asked to reply.
	The Committee reached the end of its term of office in October 2008 and the Board of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) decided to defer any decision on future arrangements for providing independent technical advice on nuclear safety, pending various reviews. Any decision will need to take account of the arrangements, yet to be finalised, to implement the Stone review of nuclear regulation. Experts staff HSE's Nuclear Directorate and it calls on many external sources of advice on nuclear safety when it needs them.

Renewable Energy: Finance

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the budget for the Hydrogen, Fuel Cell and Carbon Abatement Technologies Demonstration Programme is in each year from 2008-09 to 2013-14.

Joan Ruddock: The Hydrogen, Fuel Cells and Carbon Abatement Technologies Demonstration Programme is now supported under the Government's Environmental Transformation Fund (ETF). The following table outlines financial commitment up to 2014:
	
		
			  ETF Total   million 
			 Actual Spend 2008-09 1.4 
			 Committed 2009-10 2.8 
			 Committed 2010-11 0.6 
			 Committed 2011-12 0.6 
			 Committed 2012-13 0.1 
			 Committed 2013-14 0.5 
		
	
	A joint call on Carbon Abatement Technologies, worth some 15 million, was announced on 12 February 2009 by the ETF, the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) and the Northern Way.

Warm Front Scheme

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much each contractor appointed under the Warm Front scheme has received under the scheme in each of the last three financial years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: The spreadsheet containing this information contains over 450 lines of data, and I have therefore placed it in the Library of the House.

Warm Front Scheme: Complaints

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Braintree of 10 March 2009,  Official Report, column 410W, on the Warm Front Scheme: Essex, what mechanisms his Department has put in place to record complaints about the Warm Front scheme.

Joan Ruddock: The Department, and its predecessor DEFRA, has kept a record of all letters and emails it has received about Warm Front since January 2007 using an online correspondence tracking IT system. The total number of cases received by the Department is approximately 1,750. However not all of these cases will necessarily be complaints. DECC has recently put in place mechanisms for recording and monitoring all complaints received.

Warm Front Scheme: Contracts

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many Warm Front heating installations have been completed by Matthew Score over the last eight years; how much was received by Matthew Score for that work; and how much Government grant was provided for the work.

Joan Ruddock: holding answer 24 March  2009
	Matthew Score is a sub-contractor to Heating Efficiency Systems Ltd., which is contracted to Eaga, the Warm Front Scheme Manager. Eaga does not keep records of the work carried out by sub-contractors or the monetary value to the sub-contractor of that work. This is a matter for the initial contractor, in this instance Heating Efficiency Systems Ltd.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

British Overseas Territories: Electricity Generation

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in which British Overseas Territories micro-generation electricity production schemes are in operation.

Gillian Merron: The following Overseas Territories have micro-generation electricity production schemes: the Falkland Islands, Cayman Islands, South Georgia and Bermuda.
	There is limited private use by companies and individuals of renewable energy resources such as wind turbines and solar panels in other territories (Turks and Caicos Islands, St Helena and Pitcairn).
	This answer does not include information on Gibraltar.

British Overseas Territories: Electricity Generation

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which British Overseas Territories have held trials of power generation from  (a) wind turbines,  (b) solar power stations and  (c) tidal and hydroelectric power.

Gillian Merron: Overseas Territories have held trials of alternative power generation as follows:
	 (a )  Wind turbines
	Tristan da Cunha has tested a wind turbine.
	The Turks and Caicos Islands constructed a wind turbine, however this was destroyed in Hurricane Ike.
	St. Helena has an operational wind power generation programme.
	The Falkland Islands has an operational wind power generation programme.
	South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands have trialled wind power generation.
	Bermuda has trialled wind power generation.
	 (b) Solar power stations
	Bermuda has trialled solar power stations.
	 (c) Tidal and hydroelectric power
	The Falklands Islands has trialled a micro hydroelectric scheme.
	Bermuda has trialled tidal and hydroelectric power generation.
	South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands already have an operational hydroelectric power generation programme.
	There has been some limited private use of alternative power generation systems in some of the Overseas Territories.
	This answer does not include information on Gibraltar.

British Overseas Territories: Electricity Generation

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much electricity is generated from renewable resources in each British Overseas Territory.

Gillian Merron: The following figures were provided by the following Overseas Territories:
	The Falkland Islands generates 24 per cent. of total demand for electricity in Stanley, and 0.6 GWh in the rest of the territory from renewable sources.
	South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands have a new hydroelectric scheme supplying 100 per cent. of electricity requirements to all but three of its residents.
	St. Helena currently generates approximately 25 MWh per month from wind turbines.
	Bermuda generates 2 per cent. of its energy from waste.
	The British Virgin Islands, the Turks and Caicos Islands and Montserrat confirmed that they generate no electricity from renewable resources.
	There is limited private use of renewable energy resources in Anguilla, the Cayman Islands, Tristan da Cunha and Pitcairn.
	This answer does not include information on Gibraltar.

Departmental Buildings

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what properties his  (a) Department and  (b) Department's (i) executive agencies and (ii) non-departmental public bodies have sold in each of the last five years; and how many of these have been sold for housing development.

Gillian Merron: Details of the properties sold by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) have been provided to the Foreign Affairs Committee on a quarterly basis since financial year 2004-05. This information is published in the Committee's annual reports on the FCO's Departmental Report and is available for viewing online on their website at:
	http://www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_committees/foreign_affairs_committee/foreignaffairs_committee_reports_and_publications.cfm
	The British Council, an Executive non-departmental public body of the FCO, has sold one leasehold property in the UK only in the last five years; the British Council's office in Oxford.
	Information on the sale of its overseas properties is not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	None of the FCO's other Executive agencies or non-departmental public bodies have sold property over the last five years.
	Information on the subsequent use of properties sold is not held and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the  (a) energy consumed by,  (b) energy cost of and  (c) carbon dioxide emissions from each category of IT device in each division of his Department in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: Detailed estimates of this nature are not available although we have made estimates of the energy costs associated with our security requirement to keep certain equipment running out of hours.
	In 2007, power consumption tests based on the range of personal computers (PC) then in use suggested an average daily usage of 1.92 kW per day. This level of consumption would have been broadly constant during the past five years. With the introduction of the new hardware/software, a typical PC would consume approximately 666 W per day. Identifying a cash value based on these figures would incur disproportionate cost, as different tariffs apply in the countries around the world in which the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is represented.
	We have recently commissioned IBM to identify our IT-related carbon footprint which will be delivered in June 2009. This will establish a basis for assessing progress made toward reducing emissions as additional measures are implemented, covering the full life of equipment from procurement, through operation, to disposal.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department has taken to address the effect on levels of carbon dioxide emissions from his Department of its ICT purchases since the publication of the Greening Government ICT Strategy; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has carried out a detailed analysis of the actions needed to achieve full alignment with the Greening Government strategy. On the basis of this, we have drawn up and are implementing a three-year plan to put in place the additional measures identified, covering the full life of ICT equipment from procurement, through operation, to disposal.
	With the introduction of Future Firecrest, we have implemented a desktop/monitor power policy and are currently working on the printer policy to incorporate the Greening Government ICT strategy recommendations.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the average server capacity utilisation by each division of his Department was in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has a distributed IT estate covering over 250 posts worldwide. At present server capacity utilisation is not monitored and with the current tools available this information could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate has been made of the proportion of personal computers in each of his Department's offices that are turned off  (a) overnight,  (b) at weekends and  (c) during holiday periods; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: For security reasons Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) staff are instructed to leave personal computers (PCs) switched on when not in use. There are approximately 12,000 PCs in use in FCO offices around the world. Allowing for exceptions and shared use by shift workers, an estimate of 10,000 machines left on out of office hours is reasonable, but untested.
	The Future Firecrest programme is providing new equipment to FCO users worldwide. In addition to being more energy efficient this equipment enables the application of global standby policies which will lead to PC idle power consumption of between 1 per cent. and 3 per cent. of full power. To date approximately 3,500 new machines have been installed in offices in the UK. Under current plans all 12,000 worldwide will have been replaced within the next 12 months.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many  (a) printers and  (b) multi-function devices with printing functions were in use in each division of his Department in each of the last five years; how many such devices had a function enabling two-sided printing; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: Responsibility for the purchase of low value IT equipment is devolved to individual budget holders worldwide. This information is not held centrally and the question could only be answered at disproportionate cost.
	However, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is currently replacing IT equipment both in the UK and around the world. The printers supplied are capable of two-sided printing and will be the default setting when users print material.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many and what proportion of IT products in each category procured for each division of his Department were compliant with the Government's Buy Sustainable-Quick Win standard in the latest year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is currently replacing its IT infrastructure, and the Future Firecrest programme is delivering a newly designed and procured corporate IT platform. Up until recently the IT products available have not fully met the Buy Sustainable Quick Win standard, for example the complete elimination of PVC's. Current and future product choices should ensure compliance with this important Government standard.
	For completeness, it is important to note that in order to maintain costs at a reasonable level, certain small items of unclassified IT equipment can be procured by posts locally. This expenditure is comparatively low and there is no centrally managed asset database to confirm compliancy. Compiling this information could only be carried out at disproportionate cost.

EU Aid

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much EU grant-aided funding for non-member states there was in 2007.

Caroline Flint: Official Development Aid payments from the EC Budget of 2007 constituted 5,219 million euros for non-member states. In addition, 3,274 million euros was given under the European Development Fund to countries in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific.

Immigration: Human Rights

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on  (a) human rights abuses in countries from which people undertake enforced migration to the UK and  (b) levels of inequality in such countries; and what discussions he has had on measures to reduce levels of enforced migration.

Bill Rammell: I refer the hon. Member to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) 2008 Human Rights Report which gives details on the FCO's engagement with states on human rights issues including with reference to migration.
	The UK works with other states, bilaterally and through the EU, to reduce illegal migration, tackle the root causes of forced migration and manage legal migration into the UK.
	The FCO 2008 Human Rights report is available for viewing online at:
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/fco-in-action/conflict/

Israel

Mohammad Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he plans to meet the new Foreign Minister of Israel to discuss UK-Israel relations.

Bill Rammell: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary spoke to the Israeli Foreign Minister, Avigdor Lieberman on 3 April 2009. He congratulated Mr. Lieberman on his appointment and emphasised the importance of making swift progress towards a two state solution.
	My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary is looking forward to working closely with Israel on achieving this goal and, while there is no meeting date yet agreed, expects to meet his Israeli counterpart soon.

Kenya

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which Ministers have visited Kenya in the last 12 months.

Gillian Merron: The following Ministers have visited Kenya in the last 12 months:
	Rt. hon. Douglas Alexander MP, Secretary of State for International Development, in March 2009;
	Rt. hon. Hilary Benn MP, Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in February 2009;
	Rt. hon. Ed Miliband MP, Secretary of State, Department for Energy and Climate Change, in February 2009;
	Rt. hon. Lord Malloch-Brown, Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, in November 2008;
	Gareth Thomas MP, Minister of State at the Department for International Development, in December 2008;
	Ivan Lewis MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for International Development, in December 2008;
	Lord West, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Security and Counter-terrorism), in December 2008; and
	Rt. hon. Bob Ainsworth MP, Minister for the Armed Forces, in November 2008.

Kenya: Piracy

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Kenyan counterpart on anti-piracy operations off the coast of Kenya.

Caroline Flint: UK officials are engaged in ongoing discussions and co-operation with their Kenyan counterparts on anti-piracy operations in the region. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister recently wrote to President Kibaki to thank him for Kenya's co-operation in combating piracy in the Gulf of Aden. Our high commissioner in Nairobi discussed piracy with President Kibaki on 20 February 2009 when the President reiterated the importance of international action on a shared problem. The UK is a member of the International Contact Group taking forward work on this issue, which also includes Kenya.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to reply to the letter dated 14 January 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to J. Lovely.

David Miliband: I replied to my right hon. Friend's letter on 10 April 2009.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he plans to reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton of 23 February 2009, with regard to Mr and Mrs Z. Ullah.

David Miliband: I replied to my right hon. Friend's letter on 26 March 2009.

Middle East: Conflict Prevention

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 25 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 17-19WS, on conflict resources 2009-10, what proportion of the revised budget for the Middle East programme will be spent in  (a) Iraq,  (b) Israel-Palestine and  (c) Lebanon; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: Of the 18 million discretionary funding assigned to the Middle East and North Africa Programme for 2009-10; 13.1 million has been allocated to Iraq, 3.15 million to Israel-Palestine, and 1.35 million to Lebanon. The remaining 400,000 has been assigned to Yemen.
	This programme will continue our assistance to build Iraqi and Palestinian police and judiciary capabilities and our work with the Lebanese armed forces and internal security forces. It will also allow the UK to foster economic growth, investment and job opportunities in the Basra region, monitor and assist in improving the economic and humanitarian situation in Israeli-Palestine and reinforce Lebanese sovereignty and good governance.

Moscow

David Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many visits were made by Ministers to Moscow in the financial year 2007-08.

Caroline Flint: There were two visits made by Ministers to Moscow between 1 April 2007 and 31 March 2008.

Nuclear Weapons: EU Action

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the implications for the Government's policy on non-proliferation of the European Commission Communication on nuclear non-proliferation of 26 March 2009.

Bill Rammell: I refer the hon. Member to the Explanatory Memorandum which was laid in the House today.

Pakistan: Females

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the government of Pakistan on the provision of education for women in  (a) Swat region and  (b) elsewhere in Pakistan.

Douglas Alexander: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department for International Development's (DFID) has made a 250 million commitment to support education in Pakistan over the next five years. We are engaged in detailed discussions with the federal government and the provincial governments in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP, which includes the Swat region), Balochistan and the Punjab on plans for the use of these resources. Improving the enrolment of girls in school is a key priority area for our discussions.
	We have already committed 13.8 million to improve education in the NWFP. 6.8 million of this support is providing monthly stipends, which will benefit over 300,000 girls, who may not otherwise have the opportunity to attend secondary school. In the Swat district of NWFP, conflict has severely affected girls' education. In recent months 190 schools have been destroyed, most of which have been girls' schools. At present, however, the provincial government reports that classes have restarted using tented accommodation. The UK Government are deeply concerned about the threat to girls' education posed by extremism in Swat.
	We are also supporting a national 3.5 million gender in education project that is helping the Government to better address gender issues in the formulation of education policy. This includes disaggregating education information by gender, in order to monitor progress in improving girls' educational access.

Pitcairn Islands: Politics and Government

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans there are for a new governance structure for the Pitcairn Islands in April 2009.

Gillian Merron: At the beginning of April 2009 a new governance structure was established for the Pitcairn Islands. The new structure devolves more local government responsibility to the island council. Systems have been established to improve Government recruitment and introduce performance management. Policies covering child safety and other important areas have been refined. These are essential building-blocks for the future good governance of the island.

Pitcairn Islands: Shipping

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made on ensuring a more regular shipping service for passengers and freight to and from the Pitcairn Islands; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: The Pitcairn Islands Government has entered into an agreement with a contractor to provide a new, regular and more frequent shipping service to the Pitcairn Islands for both freight and passengers. The service will make eight calls at Pitcairn each year, including four direct from New Zealand carrying freight. It is expected that the new service will begin in September 2009. The new service will substantially improve access to the Pitcairn Islands.

Uganda

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which Ministers have visited Uganda in the last 12 months.

Caroline Flint: My hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Department of International Development (Mr. Lewis) visited Uganda in February 2009. Although there have been no other ministerial visits to Uganda in the last 12 months, it may be useful to note the following high-level visits: General Sir Richard Dannatt, Chief of the General Staff in February 2009; and Mr. Jack McConnell MSP, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Conflict Resolution in March 2009.

Zimbabwe: British Nationality

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British citizens live in Zimbabwe.

Gillian Merron: We estimate that between 10,000 to 12,000 British citizens live in Zimbabwe. This information is based on information held by our embassy in Harare.

Zimbabwe: Human Rights

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Zimbabwean counterpart on the human rights situation in Zimbabwe.

Gillian Merron: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not met his Zimbabwean counterpart since the inclusive government was formed on 13 February 2009, and has not directly raised our human rights concerns with him. However, we and our international partners, regularly raise our serious concerns about the human rights situation in Zimbabwe with the Government of Zimbabwe. In his statement of 11 February 2009, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary said the restoration of the rule of law, respect for human rights, the release of political detainees and the repeal of repressive legislation were the foundations of international support.
	The statement of 11 February 2009 is available for viewing online at:
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/newsroom/latest-news/?view=PressSid=13462857

Zimbabwe: Politics and Government

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his US counterpart on the political situation in Zimbabwe.

Gillian Merron: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary met with US Secretary of State Clinton in Washington on 3 February 2009. The power sharing agreement in Zimbabwe was one of the issues discussed.

HEALTH

Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what aftercare is provided to women having an abortion at a Marie Stopes International clinic; how many women in each age group died following an abortion at a Marie Stopes International clinic in each of the last 10 years; what the cause of death was in each case; what guidance his Department has issued to Marie Stopes International about aftercare provided at its clinics; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: All independent sector abortion providers, including Marie Stopes International, must operate according to the requirements of the Care Standards Act 2000, the Abortion Act 1967 and professional guidelines published by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. The legislation and the guidelines set out the care that should be given to women undergoing abortion, including aftercare.
	Abortion, both medical and surgical, is a very safe procedure and complications are uncommon. Deaths following abortion are extremely rare.

Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward proposals to prevent patients being discharged from an abortion clinic without their prescribed medication; what discussions he has had with abortion clinics on this issue since January 2009; what recent representations he has received on the issue; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: All abortion providers should follow the best practice outlined in The Care of Women Requesting Induced Abortion, which is the guidance published in 2004 by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. This provides guidance for professionals on all aspects of aftercare for women who have undergone abortions, including the prescription of medicine.
	In addition, abortion clinics operating in the independent sector must comply with the requirements of the Care Standards Act 2000 and the Private and Voluntary Healthcare Regulations 2001. This legislation, together with the associated National Minimum Standards, ensures that high quality care is provided to women who seek abortions. In particular, the National Minimum Standards state patients must receive information about their medication and how to use it and that patients must be made aware of the possible complications arising from abortion, how to care for themselves after the procedure and how to contact the clinic for any necessary follow-up care and advice.
	The Department holds regular discussions with abortion providers and these discussions cover a range of issues. The Department has received no representations on medication prescribed at abortion clinics.

Abortion: Death

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many maternal deaths have resulted from legal abortions in each year since 1979; and what the maternal mortality rate was  (a) for all causes and  (b) for women undergoing legal abortions; and what estimate he has made of the material mortality rate among women undergoing illegal abortions since 1979.

Dawn Primarolo: Information relating to England (and Wales) is contained in the following table.
	
		
			  Maternal deaths from legal and illegal abortions 1979 to 2005 
			   Triennium 
			   1979-81  1982-84  1985-87  1988-90  1991-93  1994-96  1997-99  2000-02  2003-05 
			 Legal abortions 5 7 1 3 5 1 2 3 2 
			 Illegal abortions 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Total 6 7 1 3 5 1 2 3 3 
			   
			  Maternal mortality rate per 100,000 maternities  
			 All direct deaths 9.1 (1)5.5 6.13 6.14 5.53 6.1 4.99 5.31 6.24 
			 Legal abortions 0.26 0.37 0.04 0.13 0.22 0.05 0.09 0.15 0.09 
			 Illegal abortions 0.05 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.05 
			 (1) Rate for England and Wales only, no data available for Scotland and Wales

Accident and Emergency Departments: Standards

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the effect on  (a) patient care and  (b) clinical priorities of the four-hour waiting time target for accident and emergency departments.

Ben Bradshaw: In 2007-08, 72 per cent. of trusts achieved the four hour standard of 98 per cent. of patients being seen, diagnosed and treated within four hours of their arrival at accident and emergency (A and E). As shown in the latest Healthcare Commission emergency department patient survey (2008), the percentage of respondents rating their overall care as excellent, very good or good was high at 88 per cent. It is important that patients have access to high quality timely care in A and E. However, we recognise that there are still areas for improvement and would encourage all trusts to examine their results and use these as a means to continue to improve patients' experience of A and E services.
	Investment and reform is working. Our drive to eliminate long waits in A and E has made local health services work in new and better ways resulting in faster access to treatment for patients.
	There are occasions when, for clinical reasons, patients may need to remain in A and E for longer than four hoursbut it is for clinicians to make that judgment. That is why the minimum operating figure of 98 per cent. was introduced in 2003, following discussions with clinicians, to allow for the minority of patients that clinically require more than four hours in A and E.
	It is a local matter for national health service trusts to ensure that they meet the A and E four hour operational standard while not compromising patient care and clinical priorities. In cases of underperforming trusts it is for the primary care trusts and strategic health authorities (SHAs) to ensure that there are plans in place for improvement so all patients can expect the same high quality service. Where there is sustained underperformance, the Department seeks assurances via the SHA that NHS trusts have robust plans in place for improvement in A and E performance, in providing high quality, timely care to patients.

Air Pollution

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what recent assessment he has made of the effects of levels of particulate pollution on the mortality rate;
	(2)  if he will publish the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants' draft paper entitled, Long-term exposure to air pollution: effect on mortality, produced in 2007.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department's Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP) advises the UK Health Department on the effects on health of both outdoor and indoor air pollutants.
	The most recent assessment of the effects of particulate pollution on mortality was published in 2007 by COMEAP: draft reportLong-term Exposure to Air Pollution: Effect on Mortality. This report indicated that the collected evidence pointed strongly to an association between long-term exposure to particulate air pollution and effects on mortality. The report suggests that air pollution has a greater effect on mortality in the United Kingdom than previously thought, with a 10 microgramme increase in fine particles being associated with a 6 per cent. increase in risk of death from all causes.
	The final version of the report, previously published for technical comment for a period of six weeks, will be published in May 2009.
	The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has calculated the estimated loss of life expectancy linked to particulate pollution in its 2007 review of the UK's Air Quality Strategy. This calculation utilised the recommendations made by COMEAP in its 2007 draft report. DEFRA estimated that the level of man-made particulate air pollution experienced in the UK in 2005 would be expected to reduce life expectancy averaged over the whole population of the UK by up to about seven to eight months.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of males  (a) between (i) 10 and 16, (ii) 17 and 21 and (iii) 22 and 26 and  (b) over 26 years who have been admitted to hospital for alcohol-related conditions in each of the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: Data on the number of individual boys and young men hospitalised for alcohol-related conditions and not available, however data on the number of alcohol-related hospital admissions for boys and young men are available and are given in the following table. It is important to note that:
	an individual may account for more than one admission;
	the data given are for alcohol-related hospital admissions only, as data are not available centrally from which alcohol-related attendances in accident and emergency (AE) departments can be identified; and
	most attendances at AE will not result in admission to hospital.
	
		
			  Finished alcohol-related admissions of males aged 10 or over, 2003-04 to 2007-08 
			  Age  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 10 to 16 3,792 4,008 4,214 4,340 3,986 
			 17 to 21 11,042 12,270 13,940 14,677 15,026 
			 22 to 26 11,127 12,646 14,375 15,047 15,332 
			 Over 26 325,053 369,709 423,744 464,939 502,942 
			  Notes: 1. Includes activity in English national health service hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector. 2.  Alcohol-related admissions: The number of alcohol-related admissions is based on the methodology developed by the North West Public Health Observatory (NWPHO). Following international best practice, the NWPHO methodology includes a wide range of diseases and injuries in which alcohol plays a part and estimates the proportion of cases that are attributable to the consumption of alcohol. Details of the conditions and associated proportions can be found in the report Jones et al. (2008) Alcohol-attributable fractions for England: Alcohol-attributable mortality and hospital admissions. Figures for under 16s only include admissions where one or more alcohol-specific conditions were listed. This is because the research on which the attributable fractions are based does not cover under 16s. Alcohol-specific conditions are those that are wholly attributed to alcoholthat is, those with an attributable fraction of one. They are: Alcoholic cardiomyopathy (142.6) Alcoholic gastritis (K29.2) Alcoholic myopathy (G72.1) Alcoholic polyneuropathy (G62.1) Alcohol-induced pseudo-Cushing's syndrome (E24.4) Degeneration of nervous system due to alcohol (G31.2) Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol (F10) Accidental poisoning by and exposure to alcohol (X45) Ethanol poisoning (T51.0) Methanol poisoning (T51.1) Toxic effect of alcohol, unspecified (T51.9) 3.  Number of episodes in which the patient had an alcohol-related primary or secondary diagnosis: These figures represent the number of episodes where an alcohol-related diagnosis was recorded in any of the 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and seven prior to 2002-03) primary and secondary diagnosis fields in a Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) record. Each episode is only counted once in each count, even if an alcohol-related diagnosis is recorded in more than one diagnosis field of the record. 4 . Ungrossed data: Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed). 5.  Finished admission episodes: A finished admission episode is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. Finished admission episodes are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. 6.  Primary diagnosis: The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and seven prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the HES data set and provides the main reason why the patient was admitted to hospital. 7.  Secondary diagnosis: As well as the primary diagnosis, there are up to 19 (13 from 2002-03 to 2007-08 and six prior to 2002-03) secondary diagnosis fields in HES that show other diagnoses relevant to the episode of care. 8.  Data quality: HES are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts in England. Data are also received from a number of independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain. 9.  Assessing growth through time: HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. The quality and coverage of the data have improved over time. These improvements in information submitted by the NHS have been particularly marked in the earlier years and need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. 10. Some of the increase in figures for later years (particularly 2006-07 onwards) may be due to the improvement in the coverage of independent sector activity. 11. Changes in NHS practice also need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. For example, a number of procedures may now be undertaken in out-patient settings and may no longer be accounted for in the HES data. This may account for any reductions in activity over time. 12.  Assignment of Episodes to Years: Years are assigned by the end of the first period of care in a patient's hospital stay.  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many finished accident and emergency admission episodes there were in each NHS trust where the primary or secondary diagnosis was alcohol-related and the  (a) male and  (b) female patient was aged (i) under 10, (ii) between 11 and 15, (iii) between 16 and 18, (iv) between 19 and 25, (v) between 26 and 35 and (vi) 36 years and over in each of the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not collected centrally in relation to attendances in accident and emergency departments.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) men and  (b) women in each age group have been admitted to hospital for stomach pumping procedures as a result of alcohol poisoning in each month of the last three years.

Ann Keen: There were zero admissions to hospital for stomach pumping procedures in 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08. This is most likely due to the fact that stomach pumping usually takes place in accident and emergency departments, without the need for the patient to be admitted to hospital. Data on stomach pumping procedures in accident and emergency departments are not collected centrally.

Arthritis: Medical Treatments

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how long the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's review of the  (a) use of and  (b) segregated use of anti-TNF drugs for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis has lasted; and when he expects the appraisal of sequential use of anti-TNFs to be completed;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the  (a) scheduling and  (b) timescale of the reappraisal process undertaken by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in respect of the sequential use of anti-TNF drugs for rheumatoid arthritis; and what representations he has received on this matter.

Dawn Primarolo: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) issued its current technology appraisal guidance to the NHS on the initial use of adalimumab, infliximab and etanercept for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in October 2007, which is 40 months from the date that Ministers referred adalimumab for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis to NICE's technology appraisal work programme. The guidance partially updated NICE's existing guidance on etanercept and infliximab for rheumatoid arthritis.
	NICE is currently developing separate appraisal guidance on the use of adalimumab, etanercept, infliximab, rituximab and abatacept for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis after the failure of a tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor. NICE currently expects to publish updated guidance on this topic in July 2010. Until NICE publishes final guidance for this appraisal, NICE'S existing guidance on the use of etanercept, infliximab, rituximab and abatacept for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis after the failure of an anti-TNF in technology appraisals TA36, TA126 and TA141 remains in place.
	The scheduling of work on specific technology appraisal reviews is a matter for NICE, but we understand that in this case the guidance development process has been particularly complex because of the need to address issues identified at the appeal stage.
	Between April and December 2008, the Department of Health has received 135 pieces of correspondence relating to NICE and the use of TNF inhibitors.

Autism

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the cost to local authorities of identifying the number of disabled children and adults with autism in their area.

Phil Hope: The Department has made no assessment of the costs to local authorities of identifying the number of disabled children with autism in their area.
	With regard to adults with autism, Departmental officials are currently estimating possible costs of a survey of prevalence, as well as the likely annual costs of additional staffing input to joint strategic needs assessments to include this group of people.

Burns: Health Services

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to review the structure of the burns service in the North West; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The provision of burns services in the North West is a matter for the Northern Network of the National Burn Care Group (NBCG). The NBCG is a sub-group of the National Specialised Commissioning Group, a body established on 1 April 2007. The Northern Burn Care Network is developing recommendations on the future of burn care services across the North West, North East and Yorkshire and the Humber Strategic Health Authority regions and North Wales.

Cancer: Drugs

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence will produce its guidance on the use of  (a) bevacizumab,  (b) sorafenib,  (c) sunitinib (second-line) and  (d) temsirolimus for the treatment of advanced and metastatic renal cell carcinoma in the NHS.

Dawn Primarolo: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence currently expects to issue final guidance to the national health service on bevacizumab, sorafenib and temsirolimus for the first line treatment and sorafenib and sunitinib for the second-line treatment of advanced and/or metastatic renal cell carcinoma in June 2009.

Cancer: Nurses

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of multi-disciplinary cancer teams for each type of cancer do not have clinical nurse specialist cover.

Ann Keen: This information is not centrally collected.
	We recognise the critical role that clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) have in multi-disciplinary teams (MDTs), as set out in the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence series of Improving Outcomes guidance. The National Cancer Review Programme for 2004-07 looked at whether MDTs had full core membership and found that there were significant gaps in some areas, including in CNSs. Another round of peer review is now under way, and this will provide information about what progress has been made in this area.

Contaminated Blood and Blood Products Inquiry

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 19 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1302W, on contaminated blood and blood products, what timetable he has set for responding to the recommendations made by Lord Archer; by what mechanism that response will be made; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Ministers have met Lord Archer to discuss his recommendations. These recommendations are receiving very careful consideration, and we will respond in due course.

Drugs: Misuse

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many admissions to hospital there were as a result of drug-related mental health conditions in each of the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: The information is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Count of finished admission episodes with a primary diagnosis of mental and behavioural disorders due to psychoactive substance use for the last five years: Activity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector: Data years 2003-04 to 2007-08 
			   Finished admission episodes 
			 2007-08 48,583 
			 2006-07 47,886 
			 2005-06 47,854 
			 2004-05 44,367 
			 2003-04 40,056 
			  Note: These figures include admissions for alcohol-induced mental health conditions.  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care.

e-Cigarettes

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department has issued on the legality of the use of e-cigarettes in enclosed public spaces.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department has not issued any guidance on the legality of the use of e-cigarettes in enclosed public spaces.
	The Department has commissioned research through the local authorities coordinators of regulatory services (LACORS) to test e-cigarettes to see if they comply with the law. This scientific research has found these contain toxic levels of nicotine and that none of the products tested to date comply with product safety regulations. Local Authority Trading Standards Departments have accordingly been informed.
	The four products that: have been tested so far did not contain tobacco. However, there are many different e-cigarette products on the UK market, which function in different ways and some products may contain tobacco. Therefore it cannot be assumed that all e-cigarettes can be used legally in smokefree premises.
	Local authorities enforce the product safety regulations and the Government are working with them to protect the public from the dangers of e-cigarettes that contain toxic levels of nicotine.
	E-cigarettes should not be sold as an aid to quitting smoking without authorisation from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.

Fertility: Medical Treatments

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what factors his Department has identified as hindering full implementation on the part of primary care trusts of National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence guidance on fertility treatment.

Dawn Primarolo: The pace of implementation of clinical guidelines produced by the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence is determined by primary care trusts (PCTs) at local level. Many PCTs are now progressing towards the full implementation of the guideline on the assessment and treatment for people with fertility problems. The expert group on commissioning national health service infertility provision, which we established in 2008 to provide advice to the Department and to PCT commissioners, has identified that increasing awareness of the consequences of infertility, and developing the expertise of commissioners, will contribute to further progress in this area of health provision. The expert group is producing a commissioning guide to address these issues.

Health Professions

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's definition of a  (a) district nurse,  (b) community matron and  (c) health visitor is.

Ann Keen: The Department does not provide definitions of nursing disciplines, these are determined by education, qualification, role and the needs of patients.

Health Professions: Manpower

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) nurses,  (b) midwives and  (c) health visitors returned to work in the National Health Service in each year since 2004.

Ann Keen: The number of midwives and health visitors that have returned to work in the national health service is not collected centrally. However, between February 1999 and March 2004, over 18,500 former nurses and midwives had returned to work in the NHS as a result of the return to practice initiative.
	From 1 April 2004, responsibility for the provision and funding of return to practice programmes was devolved to local NHS organisations.

Health Visitors: Schools

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the likely cost of introducing a universal health visitors programme in schools.

Ann Keen: The Health Visiting service is a universal service. Work continues to strengthen the service and maximise its effectiveness. The universal programme for 0-5 year olds, the Healthy Child Programme (formerly the Child Health Promotion Programme), led by health visitors, was set out in updated guidance issued in March 2008. The associated impact assessment estimated the additional costs of introducing new assessments of all pregnant women and under-fives for obesity risks at 20 million per annum, greatly outweighed by the estimated benefits.
	In Healthy Lives, Brighter Futures, the strategy for children and young people's health, the Government set out the intention to ensure that every Sure Start Children's Centre has access to a named health visitor to work as part of the team and oversee the health work of the centre.
	The new Action on Health Visiting programme, announced on 12 March, will look further at the key roles of health visitors and the action needed on skills, development and career opportunities to ensure the national health service is able to recruit and retain the right workforce. We anticipate that this will require growth in health visitor numbers. It is for local areas to decide the skill mix of teams according to population needs.
	The Impact Assessment: for the Child Health Promotion Programme may be found at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsLegislation/DH_084772
	A copy has been placed in the Library.

Hospitals: Infectious Diseases

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria his Department used in choosing the winners of the Healthcare Associated Infection Technology Innovation programme Awards; and whether each of the products commended in the awards have been reviewed by his Department's Rapid Review panel.

Ann Keen: The Healthcare Associated Infection (HCAI) Technology Innovation Programme Awards were not part of the Rapid Review Panel (RRP) process but part of a wider programme involving innovation in general and HCAI technology innovation.
	The awards categories, winners and whether they have a RRP recommendation are shown as follows.
	
		
			  Category  Winner  RRP recommendation 
			 Innovative technological concept: originating from industry with the most potential to prevent HCAI ErgoMedica Ltd. for MedMat RRP recommendation 2 
			
			 Team or individual from the NHS or industry that has contributed in the most practical way to promoting the development and/or adoption of HCAI related technology Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust for the implementation of a new rapid MRSA PCR testing technology Outside RRP remit 
			
			 For Actual new and/or novel HCAI related product or technology likely or proven to help reduce infection TwistDx for applying its novel DNA technology to develop a rapid, portable MRSA test Not submitted to RRP 
			
			 Innovative technological concept or new and novel product or technology offering the greatest contribution in controlling  Clostridium difficile BIOQUELL plc for its hydrogen peroxide vapour system RRP recommendation 1 
			
			 New and/or novel product or technology with the greatest contribution to enhancing the cleanliness of the hospital environment OSPREY DEEPCLEAN steam cleaning technology. Not submitted to RRP 
		
	
	All entries were reviewed and short listed by the judging panel. All short listed entries were then invited to present their product to the panel during two interview days. From the presentations and interviews the judges chose their winners.

Hospitals: Infectious Diseases

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 30 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1223W, on hospitals: infectious diseases, for what reasons the average of all quarters of the year was not used to calculate the reduction in methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The October to December 2008 quarter was used because it was the most recent information available. There is a downward trend over the last three quarters, April to June 2008 being a 56 per cent. reduction, July to September 2008 a 62 per cent. reduction and October to December 2008 a 65 per cent. reduction compared to the 2003-04 quarterly average.

Influenza

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many new cases of influenza were diagnosed in December and January of the year  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2007-08 and  (c) 2006-07.

Dawn Primarolo: Information on cases of influenza-like illness (ILI) is collected by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) on a weekly basis. The information requested is shown in the following table as rates of new cases of ILI per 100,000 general practitioner (GP) population for the four weeks of December and the four weeks of January. The information relates to England and Wales.
	
		
			  Rates of new cases of ILI per 100,000 GP population 
			   2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 December 9.9 15.6 27.5 
			  8.4 14.1 40.6 
			  8.8 21.8 68.5 
			  7.8 20.1 41.3 
			 
			 January 17.2 30.1 49.1 
			  20.6 30.5 43.9 
			  16.2 19 30.4 
			  16.3 15.1 17.5 
		
	
	The Health Protection Agency publishes weekly national influenza reports, incorporating RCGP data, on the website
	www.hpa.org.uk

Life Expectancy

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which local authorities in the Spearhead Group  (a) had widened the gap in life expectancy at birth compared with the population as a whole in the latest year for which information is available and  (b) are not on course to meet the 2010 target of reducing that gap by 10 per cent.

Ann Keen: This information is contained in Tackling Health Inequalities: 2005-07 Policy and Data Update for the 2010 National Target, which has been placed in the Library.

Maternal Mortality

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women have died  (a) in childbirth and  (b) as a result of complications in childbirth in each year since 1997; and how many such women have died in each NHS organisation in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: We do not collect that information centrally. However, the Confidential Enquiry into Maternal and Child Health publishes a report once every three years, formerly entitled Why Mothers Die, but now entitled Saving Mothers' Lives. The most recent, published in December 2007, covered the years 2002-05. This publication gives numbers of deaths in the United Kingdom reported to the inquiry in the three-year periods considered and divides them into deaths directly and indirectly due to pregnancy and childbirth, (it also includes coincidental deaths and late deaths, which are not included in the table). Copies of the latest report have already been placed in the Library.
	
		
			  Three year period  Direct deaths  Indirect deaths  Total direct and indirect deaths rate per 100,000 maternities 
			 1997-99 106 136 11.40 
			 2000-02 106 155 13.07 
			 2003-05 132 163 13.95 
			  Notes: 1. Direct deaths result from obstetric complications of the pregnant state, from interventions, omission, incorrect treatment or from a chain of events resulting from any of these. 2. Indirect deaths result from previous existing disease, or disease that developed during pregnancy and which was not due to direct obstetric causes, but which was aggravated by the physiological effects of pregnancy. 
		
	
	We are unable to break these figures down by NHS organisation.

Medical Equipment: Finance

Desmond Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much Government funding will be provided to develop new medical devices for use in the NHS during 2009-10.

Dawn Primarolo: The National Institute for Health Research invention for innovation programme has a budget for 2009-10 of 13 million. Other investment the Government plan to make in medical technology research in 2009-10 and beyond includes:
	a combined Technology Strategy Board and research council contribution of 13 million over three years toward the cost of the 22 business led projects chosen in the Board's technologies for health competition held in January 2008;
	the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council's Towards Next Generation Healthcare programme, which includes medical devices research, and on which a total of 4.9 million will be spent in 2009-10; and
	the Medical Research Council's (MRC) new developmental pathway funding scheme that, among other things, will support the development of medical devices. The MRC intends to commit over 50 million in the three years of the current spending review period to the scheme.

Medical Equipment: Finance

Desmond Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many funding applications for development of medical devices were received in the last three years for which information is available;
	(2)  how many medical technology developers received development grants of above 30,000 in the last three years for which information is available;
	(3)  which Government funding agency distributed the most funding to medical technology developers in the last three years for which information is available.

Dawn Primarolo: The information available in respect of the three years from 2006-07 to 2008-09 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Medical technology research: 2005-08 
			  Funding body  Applications received  Grants of or exceeding 30,000 awarded 
			 National Institute for Health Research: Invention for Innovation and Health Technology Devices programmes 172 20 
			 National Institute for Health Research: New and Emerging Applications of Technology programme n/a 61 
			 Biotechnology and Biomedical Sciences Research Council n/a 7 
			 Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) 369 132 
			 Medical Research Council n/a 21 
			 Technology Strategy Board 70 30 
			 n/a = not available  Note: The 132 awards made by the EPSRC have a total value of 81 million.

Medical Equipment: Finance

Desmond Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many medical devices that received Government funding for their development were used by the NHS within  (a) 12 months and  (b) 24 months of funding being approved in the last three years for which information is available.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not available.

Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what date his Department was first informed of the conclusions of the Healthcare Commission's investigation into patient care at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust.

Ben Bradshaw: The Healthcare Commission sent the Department a near final version of the report of its investigation into Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust on 20 February 2009. This included the recommendations and the conclusions of the investigation. Less complete versions of the investigation report were shared earlier at official level in line with protocols intended to ensure that Healthcare Commission reports are checked for factual accuracy.

Miscarriage

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many miscarriages attributed to  (a) violence against and  (b) misuse of (i) alcohol and (ii) drugs by the mother were recorded in each of the last five years; and how many such mothers were aged (A) 18 years and under and (B) over 18 years.

Dawn Primarolo: This information not collected centrally. However, for alcohol related admissions, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 25 March 2009,  Official Report, column 520W.

National Burn Care Group

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the National Burn Care Group's last meeting was before its meeting on 24 February 2009.

Ann Keen: The last meeting of the National Burn Care Group before its meeting on 24 February was on Tuesday 25 November 2008.

NHS: Death Rate

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 30 March 2009,  Official Report, column 900W, on NHS: death rate, for what reasons 43 of the alerts in the first year were not followed up.

Ben Bradshaw: The Care Quality Commission, which took over from the Healthcare Commission on 1 April 2009, has informed us that the reasons why 43 of the alerts that the Healthcare Commission considered where not followed up with the trusts concerned are set out in table 2 on page 18 of the Healthcare Commission's report Following up mortality 'outliers', which is published at:
	www.cqc.org.uk/_db/_documents/Following_up_mortality_outliers_200903244704.pdf

NHS: Drugs

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many prescriptions for drugs falling within section 4.3 of the British National Formulary were made out in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many prescription items for anti-depressant drugs there were in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: We do not hold information on the number of prescriptions issued, only prescription items dispensed.
	The following table shows the number of prescription items for anti-depressant drugs within section 4.3 of the British National Formulary, written in the United Kingdom and dispensed in the community, in England.
	
		
			  Number of prescription items dispensed in the community, in England, 2003-07 
			   Thousand 
			 2003 27,658.0 
			 2004 28,995.5 
			 2005 29,389.9 
			 2006 31,038.0 
			 2007 33,839.6 
			  Source: Prescription cost analysis (PCA) system

NHS: Drugs

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many claims relating to adverse reactions to prescription drugs were paid by the NHS Litigation Authority in each of the last five years; and what the total value of those payments was.

Ann Keen: The NHS Litigation Authority records this type of information within case notes within each individual claim. The answer could therefore be provided only at disproportionate cost.

NHS: Industrial Health and Safety

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) RIDDOR and  (b) non-RIDDOR incidents were reported in each NHS organisation identified by organisation code in each of the last five years.

Jonathan R Shaw: I have been asked to reply.
	It is not possible for the Health and Safety Executive to provide a full reply to the question as non-reportable RIDDOR incidents are inherently not reported to HSE. Additionally HSE does not have the details of NHS organisations identified by organisation code.
	However, workplaces coded to SIC 85.1 'Human health activities' excluding subclass 85.11/2, 'Private sector hospital activities' will be a reasonable approximation to the NHS as a whole. The following table shows the numbers of incidents of different types reported to HSE and local authorities from such workplaces under RIDDOR between 2003-04 and 2007-08(1). The data are not coded to individual organisations and cannot therefore be reliably presented at that level.
	(1) Provisional.
	
		
			   Reportable injuries  Reportable diseases  Reportable dangerous occurrences  Reportable gas incidents 
			 2003-04 12 898 121 318 1 
			 2004-05 12 792 115 381 1 
			 2005-06 13 236 95 404  
			 2006-07 13 268 134 422 4 
			 2007-08(1) 12 700 96 400 2 
			 (1) Provisional.  Notes: 1 NHS organisations are identified by Group 85.1, 'Human health activities' (but exclude Subclass 85.11/2, 'Private sector hospital activities'. These are determined according to Standard Industrial Classification (SIC). This system is used in UK official statistics for classifying businesses by the main type of economic activity they are engaged in, and is the responsibility of the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The latest version is 'SIC 2003'. 2 The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 1995, under which a requirement is placed on the appropriate 'responsible person' to notify the relevant enforcing authority of a reportable event arising from work activity. The 'responsible person' may be the employer of an injured person, a self-employed person, or someone who is control of premises were work is carried on. 3 The annual basis is the planning year from 1 April to 31 March. 4 Information available under regulation 3(1) of RIDDOR includes three categories of severity of injury to employees and self-employed people (workers): fatal injuries, defined major injuries and other injuries leading to more than three days absence (over-three-day). There are two categories of severity for members of the public: fatal injuries and non-fatal injuries that cause a person to be taken from the site of the accident to hospital. The same regulation includes a list of specified dangerous occurrences; these are events which do not necessarily result in a reportable injury, but have the potential to cause significant harm. 5 Regulation 5 of RIDDOR requires the 'responsible person' to report cases of certain diseases which are linked with specified work activities. In most cases this involves written diagnosis from a registered medical practitioner. 6 Regulation 6(1) of RIDDOR places a requirement on distributors, fillers, importers or suppliers of flammable gas to report any incident in connection with its supply and use which results in a fatality, major injury or condition. An incident can cause more than one fatality or injury. Regulation 6(2) of RIDDOR requires registered installers of gas appliances to provide details of any dangerous gas appliances or fittings to the relevant enforcing authority.

NHS: Information and Communications Technology

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what sums BT has  (a) received and  (b) been promised for taking over elements of Fujitsu's contract under the NHS IT programme.

Ben Bradshaw: A payment of 92.8 million, excluding VAT, has been made to BT as working capital to aid with infrastructure, planning and development work in advance of the deployment of systems and services. This is in line with Treasury rules, and in return for a reduction in payments to be earned for future successful delivery. In addition, a further 183,000, excluding VAT, has been paid relating to work previously undertaken by the company with national health service organisations in the south of England as a consequence of termination of the contract with Fujitsu.
	Contract Change Notices (CCNs) reflecting the appointment of BT as the preferred supplier to the existing eight live Cerner sites in the South, plus a commitment to additional deployments to four further Cerner acute sites, and 25 RiO Mental Health and Community Health sites, have now been signed with the company. Disclosure of the value of the CCNs at this stage would potentially compromise the Department's position in any future procurement for further services in the South, and in consequence prejudice the commercial interests of the Department, and of the taxpayer.

NHS: Manpower

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 25 February 2009,  Official Report, column 878W, on NHS manpower, what definition his Department uses of  (a) cases involving NHS staff and  (b) actions against NHS staff; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: Some cases involving national health service staff are defended by the Department because they concern the implementation or interpretation of departmental policy in the NHS. However, the Department itself does not instigate legal actions against NHS staff. Where such legal action is instigated it is by the NHS organisation concerned.

NHS: Medical Equipment

Desmond Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government is taking to increase the uptake of new and innovative medical technology devices across the NHS.

Dawn Primarolo: The NHS next stage review, high quality care for all, CM7432, published in June 2008, included a commitment to ensure that clinically and cost effective innovation in medical technologies is adopted. This will involve simplifying the pathway by which they pass from development into wider use, and developing ways to benchmark and monitor uptake. Work is under way in collaboration with the medical technology industry to deliver this objective.

NHS: Standards

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will undertake a review of the effectiveness of the overview and scrutiny functions of local government in relation to the NHS in light of the findings of the Healthcare Commission's report on Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust.

Ben Bradshaw: There is already in place an existing departmental led review looking at how improvements in health scrutiny may be secured. The review commenced in November 2008 and early feedback from a range of national health service, local government and other stakeholders is currently being reviewed and assessed.

Nurses: Training

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the basic NHS bursary rate for  (a) degree nurse students and  (b) diploma nurse students in real terms has been in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: The rates for the basic NHS bursary, at 2008 prices, are set out in the following tables.
	
		
			  A t 2008 prices, based on CPI( 1)  (  ) 
			   Diploma rates 
			   L iving in London  Living elsewhere 
			 2008 (new students)(2) 7,629.00 6,531.00 
			 2008 (existing students)(2) 7,374.00 6,275.00 
			 2007 (new students)(2) 7,663.80 6,561.03 
			 2007 (existing student)(2) 7,407.41 6,303.61 
			 2006 7,437.84 6,330.10 
			 2005 7,402.49 6,299.51 
			 2004 7,362.57 6,265.66 
			 2003 7,271.62 6,188.95 
			 2002 7,205.70 6,133.09 
			 2001 7,133.65 6,072.53 
			 2000 6,538.23 5,565.32 
			 1999 6,414.08 5,456.86 
			 1998 6,354.31 5,406.01 
			 1997 6,294.72 5,355.93 
			 (1) Source: Office for National Statistics. Consumer price index (CPI) taken in April of each year. (2) In 2007 certain allowances were removed from the scheme to make it compliant with age discrimination legislation. Existing students remained on the previous rules and new rates introduced for new entrants. 
		
	
	
		
			  A t 2008 prices, based on CPI( 1)  (  ) 
			   Degree rates 
			   London  Elsewhere  Parental home 
			 2008 (new students)(2) 3,306.00 2,739.00 2,287.00 
			 2008 (existing students)(2) 3,050.00 2,483.00 2,031.00 
			 2007 (new students)(2) 3,320.67 2,751.27 2,297.18 
			 2007 (existing students)(2) 3,064.28 2,493.85 2,068.60 
			 2006 3,076.70 2,504.32 2,076.88 
			 2005 3,061.80 2,491.96 2,038.68 
			 2004 3,045.37 2,478.76 2,027.68 
			 2003 3,007.68 2,447.98 2,002.90 
			 2002 2,980.73 2,425.23 1,984.90 
			 2001 2,950.99 2,401.54 1,965.42 
			 2000 2,704.48 2,200.65 1,801.05 
			 1999 2,655.06 2,160.15 1,764.22 
			 1998 2,630.88 2,140.18 1,749.98 
			 (1) Source: Office for National Statistics. Consumer price index (CPI) taken in April of each year. (2) In 2007 certain allowances were removed from the scheme to make it compliant with age discrimination legislation. Existing students remained on the previous rules and new rates introduced for new entrants.

Occupational Therapy: Manpower

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many occupational therapists qualified in each year since 2000; and what estimate he has made of the number of trained therapists required to fill vacancies in occupational therapy services in each of the next three years.

Ann Keen: It is not possible to identify centrally how many occupational therapists qualified in each year.
	No assessment has been made centrally as to the number of occupational therapists required as local national health service organisations are best placed to assess the healthcare needs of their local populations.
	Effective workforce planning is about delivering the best possible patient care by ensuring high quality staff with the right skills are in the right place at the right time.
	Our approach to reforming the workforce planning, education and training system mirrors the approach for the NHS itselfa belief that quality is best served by devolving decision making as closely as possible to the frontline in an environment of coherence, transparency and clear accountabilities. Planning must be based on a clear clinical vision built around patient pathways.

Occupational Therapy: Manpower

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many occupational therapists the NHS employs; and how many of them completed their training  (a) in the UK and  (b) abroad.

Ann Keen: As at 30 September 2008, there were 17,345 qualified occupational therapy staff employed in the national health service.
	It is not possible to identify centrally whether these staff completed their training in the United Kingdom or abroad.

Pharmacy

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prescriptions were issued by  (a) nurse independent prescribers,  (b) community practitioner nurse prescribers and  (c) doctors in each of the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: The number of prescription items prescribed by nurse independent prescribers, community practitioner nurse prescribers and doctors in England and dispensed in the community in the United Kingdom is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Thousand 
			   Prescription items prescribed by: 
			   Nurse independent prescribers( 1)  Community practitioner nurse prescribers( 2)  Doctors 
			 October 2007 656.9 207.6 72,284.5 
			 November 2007 666.0 201.0 68,891.7 
			 December 2007 621.7 171.9 65,506.4 
			 January 2008 714.2 200.6 67,427.9 
			 February 2008 682.4 185.5 63,938.7 
			 March 2008 670.9 176.0 63,551.5 
			 April 2008 764.4 197.4 67,796.6 
			 May 2008 744.1 184.1 67,905.0 
			 June 2008 761.8 181.5 66,401.0 
			 July 2008 797.1 197.9 70,760.7 
			 August 2008 702.2 178.5 64,796.4 
			 September 2008 752.6 181.4 67,830.9 
			 (1) Nurses based in practices and primary care trusts who are qualified to prescribe as nurse independent prescribers or nurse supplementary prescribers. (2) Nurses based in practices and primary care trusts who are qualified to prescribe from the nurse prescribers' formulary for community practitioners.

Radiotherapy: Waiting Lists

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time for radiotherapy treatment was in the latest period for which figures are available; what targets his Department has set for such waiting times; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: Average waiting times for cancer patients and average waiting times for specific cancer treatment types are not collected centrally. The cancer waiting time standard of a maximum wait of 31 days, from diagnosis to first cancer treatment for all cancers was introduced from 2005. Performance against this standard in the last period for which data are available (Quarter three 2008-09) was 99.5 per cent.

Scarborough Hospital: Negligence

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many successful claims for compensation for medical negligence at Scarborough Hospital were made in  (a) 2008 and  (b) 2009; how much compensation was paid in each year; and how many claims remain unresolved.

Ann Keen: The information is not available in the format requested. However, the following table shows the number of closed clinical negligence claims settled 2007-08 and 2008-09 for the Scarborough and North East Yorkshire NHS Trust.
	
		
			  Settlement year  Status  Number of claims  Damages paid  Defence costs paid  Claimant costs paid 
			 2007-08 Closednil damages 6 0 22,197 0 
			  Settleddamages paid 17 563,055 97,001 303,473 
			  Total 23 563,055 119,198 303,473 
			   
			 2008-09 Closednil damages 9 0   
			  Settleddamages paid 4 346,268 9,231 0 
			  Total 13 346,268 60,500 220,513 
			 69,731 220,513 
			   
			 Total  36 909,323 188,929 523,986 
			  Notes: The above dates show when settlement was reached, they not representative of when the incidents occurred or when settlement was received by the claimant. 
		
	
	The following table shows the number of open clinical negligence claims relating to the Scarborough and North East Yorkshire Healthcare NHS Trust as at 31 March 2009.
	
		
			  Status  Number of claims  Damages reserve  Defence costs reserve  Claimant costs reserve 
			 Open 35 4,778,000 790,100 1,732,398 
			  Source: NHS Litigation Authority

Social Services: Recruitment

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much had been spent on his Department's social care recruitment advertising campaign at the latest date for which figures are available.

Phil Hope: The advertising spend for the latest social care worker recruitment campaign, which ran from 23 February to 5 April 2009, was 2.1 million.

Strokes

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department issues to acute care units on the emergency classifications of stroke; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: Guidance to the national health service on stroke care is contained in the national stroke strategy. In addition, stroke is a priority area for the NHS and there is a Tier 1 Vital Sign covering the time stroke patients spend in a stroke unit and the percentage of higher risk transient ischaemic attack patients who are treated within 24 hours.
	This Vital Sign is a new data collection. Following the first two quarters of data and at the request of the NHS, the vital signs guidance was revised to help improve data accuracy. This included aligning the International Classification of Diseases codes with the Sentinel Audit and clearer definitions. This revised Guidance was made available to the NHS on 27 March 2009 and a copy has been placed in the Library.

Strokes

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many specialised stroke units there are in England; and what his plans are for the future numbers of such units.

Ann Keen: The latest National Sentinel Stroke Audit conducted by the Royal College of Physicians, identifies 186 stroke units in England. The planning of appropriate stroke services is a matter for decision locally.

Strokes

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many stroke patients have been treated in specialised units in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: This information is not collected centrally.

Strokes

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to increase patient access to  (a) diagnostic scans and  (b) thrombolysis for those whose stroke was caused by a blood clot; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: Stroke is included as a priority for the national health service in the operating framework. The stroke strategy recommends that everyone who can benefit from urgent stroke care should be transferred to an acute stroke centre that provides 24-hour access to scans and specialist stroke care. All hospitals now provide computed axial tomography scanning and most provide magnetic resonance imaging and carotid doppler too. The Department published an imaging guide in 2008, to help ensure that imaging services develop in line with the quality markers in the national stroke strategy. A copy has been placed in the Library. The guide has been welcomed by the profession. The latest National Sentinel Audit of stroke from the Royal College of Physicians shows that the number of stroke units providing thrombolysis is increasing. However, provision of these services out of hours remains a challenge. Local stroke networks have been established to assist in reviewing and organising the delivery of improved stroke services. This includes ensuring access to scanning and the provision of thrombolysis where appropriate.

Strokes

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to ensure that patients with suspected stroke or transient ischaemic attack receive  (a) rapid assessment,  (b) access to imaging and  (c) necessary treatment.

Ann Keen: Stroke is included as a priority for the national health service in the operating framework.
	Those with a suspected stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA or minor stroke) should immediately be referred for appropriate, urgent, specialist assessment and investigation including access to imaging and necessary treatment. The stroke strategy recommends that local referral protocols should be agreed between primary and secondary care to facilitate the timely assessment of people who have had a suspected TIA. The Department published an imaging guide in 2008, to help ensure that imaging services develop in line with the quality markers in the national stroke strategy. The guide has been welcomed by the profession. A copy has already been placed in the Library.
	The strategy also recommends that people with suspected acute stroke should be transferred immediately by ambulance to a receiving hospital that provides hyper-acute stroke services including expert clinical assessment, timely imaging and intravenous thrombolysis over 24-hours. Local stroke networks have been established to assist in the reviewing and organising of the delivery of improved stroke services across the pathway.
	This includes assessment, imaging and appropriate follow up treatment.

Strokes

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of patients' ability to obtain stroke services in rural areas; and what steps he is taking to increase access to stroke services for patients in rural areas.

Ann Keen: Ensuring that people have access to appropriate stroke services is a matter for the national health service locally. In rural areas, this could include the development of tele-radiology and tele-medicine. We have set up the Stroke Improvement programme and local stroke care networks to support the NHS to deliver world class stroke services.

Thrombosis: Screening

John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Wyre Forest of 4 November 2008,  Official Report, column 363W, on venous thromboembolism, what his most recent estimate is of the proportion of hospitals complying with the venous thromboembolism risk assessment policy.

Ann Keen: Currently, at the request of the chief medical officer, Dr. Anita Thomas OBE and her team are visiting throughout the national health service to discuss with senior managers and doctors their strategies for implementing venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk assessment in their hospitals. In monitoring compliance with the Department's VTE risk assessment policy we will take into account the findings from this programme of visits and any information available from other sources, such as the All Party Parliamentary Thrombosis Group.

Transplant Surgery

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment his Department has made of the implications for medical practice of pig-to-primate organ transplant experiments.

Ann Keen: The Government believe that it is right to explore the potential of xenotransplantation in a cautious stepwise fashion. It could be a potential solution to the ongoing shortage of human organs and tissues for transplantation, but also raises concerns for the safety of the individual and the wider public for the efficacy of the procedures and for the welfare of the animals involved. No xenotransplant procedure involving humans will be allowed to take place unless there is sufficient evidence to justify the particular procedure proposed.

Tuberculosis

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of tuberculosis have been identified in  (a) agricultural workers and  (b) other persons involved in agriculture in the last 12 months.

Dawn Primarolo: Data on occupation of people with tuberculosis are not routinely collected by the Health Protection Agency Enhanced Tuberculosis Surveillance system, and it is not possible to identify how many people with tuberculosis in the last 12 months were involved in agricultural employment.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Asylum: Kenya

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Kenyan citizens have been granted asylum in the UK in the last 12 months.

Phil Woolas: Information on the number of Kenyan citizens who were recognised as a refugee and granted asylum in the United Kingdom in 2008 is published in table B of the supplementary web tables published with the Control of Immigration: Quarterly Statistical SummaryFourth Quarter 2008. This table shows applications received for asylum in the UK (excluding dependants) and initial decisions broken down by country of nationality.
	2008 figures are provisional and may be subject to change. Information on asylum is published annually and quarterly. Statistics for Q1 2009 will be available in May 2009 from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html

Council for the Registration of Forensic Practitioners

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what steps she has taken to ensure an effective transition between the Council for the Registration of Forensic Practitioners and its successor; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  how long she estimates it will take to establish a new regulatory body to oversee forensic practitioners; and if she will make a statement;
	(3)  whether she has identified the organisation which is to replace the Council for the Registration of Forensic Practitioners as the body to regulate and register forensic scientists; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: The Independent Forensic Science Regulator was appointed in February 2008 and given responsibility for regulating forensic science quality standards. Since then he has published his Manual of Regulation, his Review of the Options for the Accreditation of Forensic Practitioners, and Quality standards for the Providers of Forensic Sciences to the Criminal Justice System. The regulator proposes to move to a more robust model of standards regulation that moves the focus from just forensic practitioners to include standards for organisations, practitioners and the science methods used. The forensic science laboratories are already accredited to testing international standards, accreditation that now includes assessment by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) of practitioner competence.
	Policy decisions regarding forensic science rest with the Home Office and policy decisions regarding the public funding for CRFP are the responsibility of the National Policing Improvement Agency. However, such decisions were agreed with Home Office Ministers. The Home Office Minister wrote to the Secretary of State for Justice and the Lord Chief Justice with advance copies of the regulator's report on the Options for the Accreditation of Forensic Practitioners.

Cybercrime

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions have been brought following investigations by the e-crime unit in the Serious Organised Crime Agency since its establishment.

Alan Campbell: From April 2006 until March 2008, as stated in response to House of Commons question answered on 11 March 2008,  Official Report, column 357W, the Serious Organised Crime Agency's e-crime unit was involved in 15 convictions. SOCA's annual report detailing its performance for 2008-09 will be published in May 2009.
	The child exploitation and online protection centre (CEOP) was involved over the same period in the investigation of offences of alleged child abuse where technology may have been a factor.

Cybercrime

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funds her Department has allocated to tackle internet crime in each year since 2001.

Alan Campbell: The Home Office allocated funding of more than 30 million for e-crime from 2001-06 inclusive. Part of these funds were used to establish the National Hi-Tech Crime Unit (NHTCU) in the then National Crime Squad, as well as transitional funding for computer forensic officers in forces.
	The Government have allocated 3.5 million to the Police Central e-crime Unit (PCeU) over three years from 2008-09 with the Metropolitan Police Service contributing 3.9 million over the same three year period.
	The SOCA E-crime Unit is funded from the SOCA budget and the unit has had a budget of 9.8 million over three years.
	The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) established in 2006 is funded from the SOCA budget and in 2006-07 CEOP received 5.1 million, 5.726 million for 2007-08 and 6.27 million for 2008-09.

Firearms: Crime

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many firearms offences (including those involving air weapons) were recorded in each police force in England and Wales in each year since 1998-99.

Jacqui Smith: Available data relate to offences recorded in the period 1998-99 up to and including 2007-08, and are shown in the table. Firearms are taken to be involved in a crime if they are fired, used as a blunt instrument against a person, or used as a threat.
	The National Crime Recording Standard was introduced on 1 April 2002. Data for the years up to and including 2001-02 are not directly comparable with those for later years.
	
		
			  Crimes recorded by the police in which firearms (including air weapons) were reported to have been used( 1)  by police force area: England and Wales ,  1998-99 to 2007-08 
			  Number of offences ,  recorded crime 
			  Police force area  1998-99( 2)  1999- 20 00  2000-01  2001-02( 3)  2002-03( 4)  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			  North East Region 727 783 456 595 943 1,116 817 633 492 493 
			 Cleveland 245 199 203 304 301 406 342 214 142 104 
			 Durham 25 53 116 163 123 118 195 217 176 162 
			 Northumbria 457 531 137 128 519 592 280 202 174 227 
			
			  North West Region 2,308 2,619 2,983 3,940 4,119 4,267 4,812 4,260 3,428 3,389 
			 Cheshire 97 72 167 177 198 252 275 158 85 100 
			 Cumbria 33 34 29 34 42 39 53 43 47 36 
			 Greater Manchester 1,143 1,372 1,513 2,175 2,243 2,151 2,004 1,761 1,548 1,625 
			 Lancashire 179 227 233 343 274 196 1,032 963 895 808 
			 Merseyside 856 914 1,041 1,211 1.362 1,629 1,448 1,335 853 820 
			
			  Yorkshire and the Humber Region 2,079 2,206 2,876 3,452 3,360 3,239 3,154 2,981 2,338 1,856 
			 Humberside 563 543 502 473 380 332 385 246 290 186 
			 North Yorkshire 74 59 382 483 89 86 306 193 163 45 
			 South Yorkshire 401 369 448 737 876 797 552 825 612 591 
			 West Yorkshire 1,041 1,235 1,544 1,759 2,015 2,024 1,811 1.716 1,273 1,034 
			
			  East Midlands Region 1,407 1,619 1,470 1,781 2,251 2,084 1,766 1,757 1,576 1,569 
			 Derbyshire 322 451 398 461 516 581 493 392 308 297 
			 Leicestershire 185 137 119 149 254 233 186 136 196 206 
			 Lincolnshire 80 141 152 153 246 258 270 142 109 67 
			 Northamptonshire 191 177 108 148 325 313 141 355 340 344 
			 Nottinghamshire 629 713 693 870 910 699 676 732 623 655 
			
			  West Midlands Region 1,092 1,375 1,564 2,300 2,262 2,374 2,217 2,118 2,078 2,113 
			 Staffordshire 123 184 321 386 440 382 291 228 181 230 
			 Warwickshire 56 69 73 102 102 130 116 122 167 217 
			 West Mercia 105 114 111 177 272 176 274 231 159 203 
			 West Midlands 808 1,008 1,059 1,635 1,448 1,686 1,536 1,537 1,571 1,463 
			
			  East of England Region 761 996 1,052 1,333 1,734 1,749 1,432 1,388 1,183 1,191 
			 Bedfordshire 149 177 140 182 186 176 178 175 123 131 
			 Cambridgeshire 141 186 146 195 213 163 167 121 106 82 
			 Essex 317 344 356 546 732 753 553 603 563 549 
			 Hertfordshire 61 164 217 224 359 386 347 313 213 226 
			 Norfolk 59 56 57 68 94 65 46 51 70 92 
			 Suffolk 34 69 136 118 150 206 141 125 108 111 
			
			  London Region 3,005 4,123 4,264 5,682 5,535 5,135 4,629 4,552 3,935 3,826 
			
			  South East Region 1,276 1,579 1,562 1,658 1,788 2,102 2,015 1,885 1,583 1,259 
			 Hampshire 147 215 163 175 184 314 334 301 297 215 
			 Kent 277 340 335 269 309 276 279 316 288 215 
			 Surrey 66 92 129 107 117 175 120 163 111 108 
			 Sussex 315 377 326 404 393 406 388 289 169 146 
			 Thames Valley 471 555 609 703 785 931 694 816 718 575 
			
			  South West Region 628 934 887 1,055 1,140 1,108 1,135 996 1,072 942 
			 Avon and Somerset 241 429 365 411 440 407 443 367 373 389 
			 Devon and Cornwall 144 140 111 140 168 217 278 217 176 157 
			 Dorset 42 123 153 174 144 120 99 126 110 64 
			 Gloucestershire 116 158 179 232 262 252 229 216 223 152 
			 Wiltshire 85 84 79 98 126 112 86 70 190 180 
			
			  Wales 591 712 584 605 938 920 917 957 796 705 
			 Dyfed Powys 60 45 68 43 42 102 104 107 72 74 
			 Gwent 215 248 197 176 301 266 267 208 140 171 
			 North Wales 94 104 44 49 217 287 252 292 307 207 
			 South Wales 222 315 275 337 378 265 294 350 277 253 
			
			 England and Wales 13,874 16,946 17,698 22,401 24,070 24,094 22,894 21,527 18,481 17,343 
			 England 13,283 16,234 17,114 21,796 23,132 23,174 21,977 20,570 17,685 16,638 
			 England and Wales (excluding London Region) 10,869 12,823 13,434 16,719 18,535 18,959 18,265 16,975 14,546 13,517 
			 (1) Firearms are taken to be involved in a crime if they are fired, used as a blunt instrument against a person or used as a threat. (2) There was a change in the counting rules for recorded crime on 1 April 1998. (3) Figures for some crime categories may have been inflated by some police forces implementing the principles of the National Crime Recording Standard before 1 April 2002. (4) The National Crime Recording Standard was introduced on 1 April 2002 which may have resulted in inflated figures for some crime categories Figures before and after this are not directly comparable.  Source: E and W data totals previously published in table 2.03 of Homicides, Firearm Offences and Intimate Violence 2007/08 (HOSB 02/09).

G20: Greater London

Mohammad Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her latest estimate is of the policing and security costs incurred in respect of the G20 summit.

Vernon Coaker: As of 7 April 2009, the total estimated policing and security costs incurred by the Metropolitan Police Service in respect of the G20 summit amounted to 7.2 million.

G20: Greater London

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers from forces other than the Metropolitan police were deployed to police the G20 summit.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 20 April 2009
	The policing of the G20 Summit was a joint operation between the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), the City of London Police and the British Transport Police. The MPS inform me that additionally 329 police officers from other forces assisted in the policing of the G20 Summit. In addition firearms recovery dogs and their handlers were brought in for a total of 12 officer days.

Heroin: Afghanistan

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the percentage of heroin sold in the UK which originated in Afghanistan in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Phil Woolas: We estimate that more than 90 per cent. of the heroin which reaches the UK originates in Afghanistan.

Identity and Passport Service: Consultants

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much the  (a) Identity and Passport Service and  (b) National Identity Scheme spent on external consultants in 2008.

Phil Woolas: Since the merger of the Home Office Identity Cards programme and the UK Passport Service to create the Identity and Passport Service on 1 April 2006, projects to deliver passports including facial images and fingerprints, identity cards and other improvements have been necessarily combined. As much of the technology and operational processes needed to implement identity cards is also required for the implementation of these new passports, this is the most cost-effective way to deliver these initiatives.
	Much of the work conducted by the Identity and Passport Service cannot be categorised, both financially and operationally, as contributing towards either the introduction of passports facial images and fingerprints or identity cards alone. The work is accounted for as future development projects and the cost of external consultancy only attributed to these projects for the 2008 calendar year was 31,923,000.
	The spend for IPS as a whole for external consultants in the 2008 calendar year was 34,958,000.

Immigration: Zimbabwe

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Zimbabwean citizens were granted  (a) asylum and  (b) right to remain in the UK in 2008.

Phil Woolas: Information on the number of Zimbabwean citizens that were granted  (a) asylum and  (b) right to remain in the United Kingdom in 2008 can be found in table B of the supplementary tables published with the Control of Immigration: Quarterly Statistical SummaryFourth Quarter 2008. This table shows applications received for asylum in the UK (excluding dependants) and initial decisions broken down by country of nationality.
	2008 figures are provisional and may be subject to change. These publications are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html

Immobilisation of Vehicles

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 18 March 2009,  Official Report, column 386W, on the immobilisation of vehicles, when she plans to publish the results of the feasibility study undertaken by the Security Industry Authority on options for the compulsory licensing of vehicle immobilisation companies who work on private land.

Alan Campbell: The Home Secretary announced on 3 April her intention to launch a formal consultation in late April on the options for how best to regulate the wheel-clamping industry. The Government's preferred option will be to introduce compulsory licensing by the Security Industry Authority of wheel-clamping companies.
	The consultation document includes the results of the feasibility study. It will be published at the end of April, and copies will be placed in the House Libraries.

Immobilisation of Vehicles

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 18 March 2009,  Official Report, column 385W, on immobilisation of vehicles, what proposals she is considering in relation to  (a) signage and  (b) fines.

Phil Woolas: We will launch a formal consultation in late April considering how best to regulate the wheel-clamping industry. The Government's preferred option would introduce compulsory licensing for all wheel-clamping companies, to ensure they uphold standards of conduct, which will be enforced if they are not met.
	The details of the scheme will be decided after the public consultation, but are likely to include maximum penalties that can be charged and standards on signage, including size and visibility.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects to reply to the letter dated 22 January 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on Abduul Karim Barry.

Jacqui Smith: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 25 March 2009.

National DNA Database

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many DNA profiles of subjects aged  (a) under 10,  (b) 11 to 18 and  (c) over 18 years were added to the national DNA database in 2008; and how many in each category have been added in 2009 to date;
	(2)  how many children under the age of 10 years had details on the national DNA database on  (a) 1 December 2008 and  (b) 1 March 2009;
	(3)  how many children under the age of 10 years have had their details added to the national DNA database since December 2008.

Alan Campbell: The figures given in Table 1 show the number of profiles added to the national DNA database (NDNAD) by police forces in England and Wales in 2008, broken down by age. The figures given in Table 2 show the number of profiles added to the NDNAD by police forces in England and Wales in 2009 (at 23 March), broken down by age. The age groups represent the age of an individual on the date when their profile was loaded on to the NDNAD. The figures show the number of profiles added to the NDNAD; some of these have since been deleted.
	Information on the number of DNA profiles of children under 10 held on the NDNAD on 1 December 2008 and 1 March 2009 is not available and cannot be obtained retrospectively. However, information is available for other dates in December 2008 and March 2009. On 16 December 2008, there were 62 profiles held on the NDNAD by England and Wales forces of children who were aged under 10.
	There were also a further 29 profiles of children who were aged under 10 when their profile was loaded on to the NDNAD but who were aged 10 or over on 16 December 2008. On 2 March 2009 there were five profiles held on the NDNAD of children who were aged under 10; and one profile of a child who was aged under 10 when his/her profile was loaded on to the NDNAD but who was aged 10 or over on 2 March.
	Table 2 shows that four profiles from children aged under 10 have been loaded to the NDNAD since December 2008. The four samples may have been taken by forces and sent to a forensic laboratory for profiling before 16 December 2008, and then loaded on to the NDNAD by the laboratory at the end of the automated profiling process. These four profiles have since been deleted and at 5 March 2009 all profiles of children who were under 10 when their profile was loaded (regardless of current age) held by England and Wales forces had been deleted from the NDNAD.
	
		
			  Table 1: Profiles added to the NDNAD by England and Wales forces in 2008, broken down by age 
			   Number 
			 Under 10 63 
			 10-18 126,972 
			 Over 18 387,496 
			 Unknown age on load 54 
			 Total 514,585 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Profiles added to the NDNAD by England and Wales forces in 2009( 1) , broken down by age 
			   Number 
			 Under 10 4 
			 10-18 25,610 
			 Over 18 91,222 
			 Unknown age on load 65 
			 Total 116,901 
			 (1) At 23 March 2009

Offences against Children

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) males and  (b) females in each age group were charged with having sex with a minor in (i) the UK, (ii) the North East, (iii) Tees Valley district and (iv) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each of the last 12 years; and what proportion of those charged were convicted.

Alan Campbell: The number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts of sexual offences against children under the age of 18 years in England and Wales, the north-east region, and Cleveland police force area, by gender, and age group, for the years 1996 to 2007 can be viewed in the following tables 1 to 3.
	Data provided are for those statutes where the age of the victim is specified.
	Charging data are not held by the Ministry of Justice, hence proceeded against data have been provided in lieu.
	The Sexual Offences Act 2003 significantly modernised and strengthened the laws on sexual offences in England and Wales to provide extra protection to children from sexual exploitation. Data for the period 2004 onwards cannot therefore be directly compared to earlier years. Many new offences created by the Act will not have a direct equivalent under the old legislation.
	Information for Scotland is a matter for the Scottish Executive and that for Northern Ireland for the Northern Ireland Office.
	Data held by the Ministry of Justice cannot be further broken down to constituency level (i.e. Tees Valley district, and Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland); hence Cleveland police force area data have been provided in lieu.
	These data are on the principal offence basis. The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the offence selected is the one for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
	Court proceedings data for 2008 will be available in the autumn of 2009.
	
		
			  Table 1: The number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts of sexual offences against children under the age of 18 years in England and Wales, by gender, and age group 1996 to 2007( 1,2,3,4) 
			  England and Wales 
			   Age group 10 to 17  Age group 18 to 20  Age group 21 and over 
			   Proceeded against  Found guilty  Conviction rate (%)( 5)  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Conviction rate (%)( 5)  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Conviction rate (%)( 5) 
			  Male  
			 1996 74 38 51 38 12 32 428 209 49 
			 1997 82 36 44 45 18 40 578 225 39 
			 1998 110 23 21 58 11 19 638 255 40 
			 1999 122 38 31 57 20 35 658 276 42 
			 2000(6) 133 28 21 65 7 11 586 220 38 
			 2001 135 24 18 85 10 12 886 207 23 
			 2002 205 18 9 117 18 15 959 255 27 
			 2003 234 28 12 140 16 11 882 282 32 
			 2004 285 71 25 161 24 15 1,282 431 34 
			 2005 497 213 43 289 120 42 2,157 1,005 47 
			 2006 479 221 46 250 164 66 2,197 1,367 62 
			 2007 538 278 52 266 163 61 2,166 1,413 65 
			   
			  Female  
			 1996 1  0  1 n/a 4  0 
			 1997 1  010  0 
			 1998 2 1 502 1 50 
			 1999  1 n/a9  0 
			 2000(6) 1  03 2 67 
			 2001   7 1 14 
			 2002   7 1 14 
			 2003 2  07  0 
			 2004   11 4 36 
			 2005 4 2 50 2   19 11 58 
			 2006 1  0  1 n/a 12 11 92 
			 2007 4 3 75  2 n/a 16 7 44 
			 n/a = not applicable (1) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Data included in the table are from sections within the 2003 Sexual Offences Act which identify the victim as a minor. (4) The Sexual Offences Act 2003 came into force on 1 May 2004, and supersedes previous Acts. (5) Proportion of those proceeded against who were found guilty. (6) Staffordshire police force were only able to submit sample data for persons proceeded against and convicted in the magistrates courts for the year 2000. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data, these data are not robust enough at a detailed level and have been excluded from the table.  Note: The found guilty column may exceed those proceeded against, as it may be the case that the proceedings in the magistrates court took place in the proceeding year and they were found guilty at the Crown court in the following year, or the defendants were found guilty for a different offence to the original offence proceeded against.  Source: Office for Criminal Justice ReformEvidence and Analysis Unit, Ministry of Justice 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2:  N umber of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts of sexual offences against children under the age of 18 years in the North East Region, by gender, and age group 1996 to 2007( 1,)( )( 2,)( )( 3,)( )( 4) 
			  North East Region 
			   Age group 10 to 17  Age group 18 to 20  Age group 21 and over 
			   Proceeded against  Found guilty  Conviction rate (%)( 5)  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Conviction rate (%)( 5)  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Conviction rate (%)( 5) 
			  Male  
			 1996 11 2 18 4 1 25 35 25 71 
			 1997 10 5 50 2 1 50 43 18 42 
			 1998 8 2 25 4 1 25 73 21 29 
			 1999 13 1 8 2 1 50 62 26 42 
			 2000 18 2 11 5  0 47 12 26 
			 2001 9 4 44 9 1 11 49 16 33 
			 2002 12 2 17 4 2 50 50 16 32 
			 2003 14 3 21 8  0 44 15 34 
			 2004 17 6 35 8  0 56 23 41 
			 2005 36 10 28 13 5 38 115 58 50 
			 2006 46 24 52 19 14 74 130 80 62 
			 2007 44 20 45 18 6 33 134 79 59 
			   
			  Female  
			 1996  
			 1997  
			 1998  
			 1999  
			 2000 1  0   
			 2001   1 1 100 
			 2002  
			 2003  
			 2004   1  0 
			 20051  0 1  0 
			 2006 1  0 1 n/a 
			 2007 1 n/a 2  0 
			 n/a = not applicable (1) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Data included in the table are from sections within the 2003 Sexual Offences Act which identify the victim as a minor. (4) The Sexual Offences Act 2003 came into force on 1 May 2004, and supersedes previous Acts. (5) Proportion of those proceeded against who were found guilty.  Note: The found guilty column may exceed those proceeded against, as it may be the case that the proceedings in the magistrates court took place in the proceeding year and they were found guilty at the Crown court in the following year, or the defendants were found guilty for a different offence to the original offence proceeded against. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3:  N umber of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts of sexual offences against children under the age of 18 years in Cleveland police force area, by gender, and age group 1996 to 2007( 1,)( )( 2,)( )( 3,)( )( 4) 
			  Cleveland police force area 
			   Age group 10 to 17  Age group 18 to 20  Age group 21 and over 
			   Proceeded against  Found guilty  Conviction rate (%)( 5)  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Conviction rate (%)( 5)  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Conviction rate (%)( 5) 
			  Male  
			 1996   2 2 100 
			 1997 1 1 1002 3 150 
			 1998   2 4 200 
			 1999   7 9 129 
			 2000 1  0 2  0 6 2 33 
			 2001 1  0 1  0 7 4 57 
			 2002 1  0 1  0 11 4 36 
			 2003 2 2 1008 4 50 
			 2004 3 2 67 5  0 11 7 64 
			 2005 7 3 43 1 2 200 23 11 48 
			 2006 0 8 80 5 3 60 30 17 57 
			 2007 0 5 50 3 1 33 36 20 56 
			   
			  Female  
			 1996  
			 1997  
			 1998  
			 1999  
			 2000 1  0   
			 2001  
			 2002  
			 2003  
			 2004  
			 2005  
			 2006  
			 2007  
			 n/a = not applicable (1) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Data included in the table are from sections within the 2003 Sexual Offences Act which identify the victim as a minor. (4) The Sexual Offences Act 2003 came into force on 1 May 2004, and supersedes previous Acts. (5) Proportion of those proceeded against who were found guilty.  Note: The found guilty column may exceed those proceeded against, as it may be the case that the proceedings in the magistrates court took place in the proceeding year and they were found guilty at the Crown court in the following year, or the defendants were found guilty for a different offence to the original offence proceeded against.  Source: Office for Criminal Justice ReformEvidence and Analysis Unit, Ministry of Justice

Parking Offences: Security Guards

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been paid in parking fines by security vehicles carrying cash and valuables in each local authority area in each year since 1997-98.

Alan Campbell: The information requested is not collected by central Government.

Passports: Security

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what international obligations apply to the implementation by her Department of measures to ensure the security of passports.

Phil Woolas: Travel document standards, including those relating to the minimum security features of such documents are set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in their Document 9303. The United Kingdom passport complies fully with the ICAO standards, both in relation to the travel document specifications and the security features. In relation to the latter, the UK passport surpasses the minimum standard required.
	The EU Council Regulation (EC 2252/2004) on standards for security features and biometrics in EU citizens' passports requires Schengen states to issue passports that comply with a minimum level of security features, including biometric identifiers. The UK is excluded from this regulation (as it is a Schengen building measure). Nevertheless the UK complies with the measure in relation to security features and the inclusion of the facial image biometric, and intends to comply with the requirement to include fingerprints in passports.
	The UK also complies with the EU Council Common Position on the exchange of certain data with Interpol in relation to reporting lost and stolen passports.

Police

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many of the recommendations of the Flanagan review have been implemented;
	(2)  what progress has been made in implementing each of the recommendations of the Flanagan report;
	(3)  pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 23 February 2009,  Official Report, column 7WS, on policing: publication of reports by Sir David Normington and Jan Berry, which of the 19 recommendations made by Sir Ronnie Flanagan have been implemented.

Jacqui Smith: There has been significant progress in implementing the recommendations from Sir Ronnie Flanagan's Independent Review of Policing in England and Wales. The 59 recommendations made by Sir Ronnie Flanagan (covering both his interim and final reports) required fundamental change to the police service's management and culture. Nevertheless a substantial number of the recommendations have already been implemented and we are working in close partnership with National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) and Jan Berry, the new independent Reducing Bureaucracy Advocate to implement all of the recommendations by early 2010.

Police: Bureaucracy

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer of 10 December 2007,  Official Report, column 91W, on police: bureaucracy, how much time  (a) police officers and  (b) patrol officers spent on (i) incident-related paperwork, (ii) non-incident-related paperwork, (iii) all paperwork and (iv) patrol in 2007-08.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 10 March 2009
	Following the review by Sir Ronnie Flanagan, the Government have cut the amount of unnecessary bureaucracy to allow the police to focus on local priorities, including:
	Scrapping the foot-long stop and account form;
	Extending a pilot that reduces crime recording by 80 per cent. for 80 per cent. of crimes; and
	Removing all but one national top-down target, to improve public confidence.
	In order to reduce the bureaucracy on officers still further the Government have also abolished the need for police officers to complete the annual police activity analysis form, which asked them to account for their activity for each 15-minute working period of their shifts over a two week perioda step which alone frees up the equivalent of 150 extra officers and staff. Therefore the figures requested will not be produced in the future, as to request them would take police officers away from the front line. The information requested is in the following table.
	
		
			  Table A: All officers 2007-08 
			  Percentage 
			  Year( 1)  Time spent on incident-related paperwork  Time spent on non incident-related paperwork  Total time spent on p aperwork  Time spent on patrol( 2) 
			 2007-08(3) 12.4 9.3 21.7 13.8 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B: Patrol officers 2007-08 
			  Percentage 
			  Year( 1)  Time spent on incident-related paperwork  Time spent on non incident-related paperwork  Total time spent on  p aperwork  Time spent on patrol 
			 2007-08(3) 10.7 9.2 19.9 17.8 
			 (1) The information is taken from activity analysis, which is collected by all forces over a two-week period in each year and provides a snapshot of how officers are deployed. (2) Includes officers on foot/car/beat patrol, CID and traffic officers. (3) Excluding Staffordshire. 
		
	
	It should be noted that the front-line policing measure offers the fullest picture of police officer activity. It measures time spent by police on core policing duties such as patrol, responding to 999 calls as well as activities of CID and specialist officers. In 2007-08 the front-line policing measure was 64.9 per cent. for police officers and 64.4 per cent. for patrol officers.
	This data are normally used for management information only and are not subject to the detailed checks that apply for National Statistics publications. The data are provisional and may be subject to change.

Police: Cameras

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding her Department provided for the use of police head-cameras in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09.

Jacqui Smith: Over the financial year 2007-08, the Home Office provided 3 million to police forces for the purchase and use of head-cameras.

Police: Standards

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to page 29 of the Policing Green Paper Policing Our Communities Together, which police forces had met the standards in the Policing Pledge prior to the introduction of the Pledge.

Jacqui Smith: The Policing Pledge builds on best practice and sets new, consistent standards for the police service for visibility, accessibility, responsiveness and providing information to the public. While many forces previously had their own standards these were not consistent and they have not previously been commonly made public.
	Following implementation of the Pledge nationally, the public now know the minimum standard of service they can expect to receive from the police everywhere in England and Wales and have a greater say over the issues that they would like the police to prioritise in their local areas.
	The Home Office does not keep central records on delivery of the standards in the Policing Pledge. HMIC will validate the delivery of the Pledge through their inspection process and police authorities will also wish to be satisfied that the Pledge is being delivered for local people.

Sexual Assault Referral Centres

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many sexual assault referral centres were operating in each police force area in each of the last five years; how many were in  (a) rural and  (b) urban areas; and how many employed a forensic nurse.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is contained in the following table.
	
		
			   SARC  Police force area  Open since  Forensic nurse (Y/N)  Rural( 1 ) (Y/N) 
			 1 St. Mary's Centre Manchester Greater Manchester 1986 Y N 
			 2 REACHRhona Cross Centre Newcastle Northumbria 1991 N N 
			 3 REACHEllis Fraser Centre Sunderland Northumbria 1991 N N 
			 4 Willow House Merthyr Tydfil South Wales 1993 N N 
			 5 Juniper Lodge Leicester Leicestershire 1999 N N 
			 6 Haven Camberwell London MPS 2000 N N 
			 7 Haven Paddington London MPS 2002 N N 
			 8 Lancashire SAFE Centre Preston Lancashire 2002 Y N 
			 9 Millfield House Derbyshire Derbyshire 2004 N N 
			 10 Haven Whitechapel London MPS 2004 N N 
			 11 The Meadows Durham Durham 2005 N Y 
			 12 The Rowan Centre Walsall West Midlands 2005 N N 
			 13 The New Swindon Sanctuary Swindon Wiltshire 2006 N Y 
			 14 The Treetops Centre Portsmouth Hampshire 2006 N N 
			 15 Elm Tree House Dyfed Powys Dyfed Powys 2007 N Y 
			 16 The Topaz Centre Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire 2007 N N 
			 17 Renton Clinic Kent Kent 2007 N N 
			 18 Helen Britton House Middlesbrough Cleveland 2007 N N 
			 19 Laburnum House Gwent Gwent 2008 N N 
			 20 Hope House Gloucester Gloucestershire 2008 N Y 
			 21 CASA Suite Hull Humberside 2008 Y N 
			 22 SAFE PlaceMerseyside Liverpool Merseyside 2008 N N 
			 23 Twelves Company Devon Devon and Cornwall 2008 N Y 
			 24 Artemis Centre Rotherham South Yorkshire 2008 N N 
			 25 The Saturn Centre Crawley Sussex 2008 N N 
			 26 Beech Tree Centre Swansea South Wales 2008 N N 
			 27 Safe Island Cardiff South Wales 2008 N N 
			 28 The Bridge Bristol Avon and Somerset 2008 N N 
			 (1) The defining of rural police force areas within England and Wales has been taken in accordance with the ACORN ('A Classification of Residential Neighbourhoods') guidance as published in the Statistical Bulletin 01/02 'Rural Crime England and Wales'. The data covers 13 forces which ACORN defines as either 'most rural' (Dyfed-Powys, Lincolnshire, North Yorkshire and North Wales) or 'Less Rural' (Cambridgeshire, Cumbria, Devon and Cornwall, Durham, Gloucestershire, Norfolk, Suffolk, West Mercia and Wiltshire).

Sexual Assault Referral Centres: Finance

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funding the Government have provided to sexual assault referral centres in each year since their introduction.

Alan Campbell: Although sexual assault referral centres (SARCs) are primarily resourced at a local level in order to ensure sustainability, the Government have supported the establishment and development of the SARC network through a series of grants since 2003-04.
	Based on the best available information, the approximated total of grants awarded to sexual assault referral centres since 2003-04 is set out in the following table.
	
		
			   Total (000) 
			 2003-04 300 
			 2004-05 310 
			 2005-06 709 
			 2006-07 620 
			 2007-08 805 
			 2008-09 663 
			  Source: Home Office SARC funding.

Terrorism: Crime Prevention

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 24 February 2009,  Official Report, column 695W, on terrorism, 
	(1)  what proportion of the 2.5 billion counter-terrorism and intelligence budget is accounted for by the counter-terrorism strategy;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the counter-terrorism and intelligence budget in  (a) 2009-10 and  (b) 2010-11, broken down by the proportion to be spent on the counter-terrorism strategy in each year.

Vernon Coaker: The single security and intelligence budget, which includes Government spending on counter-terrorism and intelligence, was announced as part of the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review. It is forecast to rise from 2.5 billion in 2008-09 to 3.5 billion in 2010-11. This budget is wider than just expenditure on the Government's counter-terrorism strategy, CONTEST. Breaking down this budget by specific counter-terrorism and intelligence activities, beyond what is published already, would reveal our capabilities and details of the security and intelligence agencies spending. It has been the policy of successive governments not to reveal these details.

Terrorism: Statistics

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Statistical Bulletin on Terrorism Arrests and Outcomes, 11 September 2001 to 31 March 2008 will be published; and what the reasons are for the time taken.

Jacqui Smith: The Statistical Bulletin on Terrorism Arrests and Outcomes will be published when ongoing checks to ensure data quality ahead of publication are complete.

Vetting

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department  (a) how many and  (b) what percentage of record checks processed by the Criminal Records Bureau were completed (i) within (A) 10, (B) 14, (C) 25, (D) 60 and (ii) in over 60 days in each police force area in 2008-09.

Vernon Coaker: The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) operates to a set of published service standards (PSS) which are to issue 90 per cent. of standard disclosures within 10 days and 90 per cent. of enhanced disclosures within 28 days.
	The targets mentioned above are not CRB targets for completion of a disclosure but part of an internal service level agreement (SLA) in place between the CRB and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO). This SLA has been agreed by ACPO on behalf of the 43 local police forces in England and Wales and the time taken by each force to complete their part of the enhanced disclosure process is measured against these targets. By meeting these targets the police forces directly affect the CRB's ability to meet the PSS for enhanced disclosures.
	The following table illustrates the number of checks completed by each police force in 10 days, 14 days, 25 days, 60 days and over 60 days during 2008-09.
	
		
			   Checks completed in  10  days or fewer  Checks completed in 11-14 days  Checks completed in 15-25 days  Checks completed in 26-60 days  Checks completed in 61 or more days  Total  c hecks  c ompleted 
			  Police force  No.  %  No.  %  No.  %  No.  %  No.  %  No. 
			 Avon and Somerset 73,190 57.9 28,733 22.7 10,657 8.4 13,521 10.7 305 0.2 126,406 
			 Bedfordshire 50,202 97.5 802 1.6 425 0.8 64 0.1 0 0.0 51,493 
			 British Transport Police 4,645 15.0 9,745 31.5 14,007 45.3 2,517 8.1 33 0.1 30,947 
			 Cambridgeshire 39,848 58.2 1,775 2.6 1,190 1.7 21,384 31.2 4,321 6.3 68,518 
			 Cheshire 21,901 26.9 22,406 27.5 18,114 22.2 16,220 19.9 2,811 3.5 81,452 
			 City of London 2,025 55.0 119 3 9 280 7.6 1,010 27.5 245 6.7 3,679 
			 Cleveland 29,634 74.6 511 1.3 1,629 4.1 7,471 18.8 499 1.3 39,744 
			 Cumbria 23,329 64.9 7,405 20.6 4,738 13.2 455 1.3 5 0.0 35,932 
			 Derbyshire 10,712 13.7 6,335 8.1 47,965 61.3 10,376 13.3 2,862 3.7 78,250 
			 Devon and Cornwall 118,346 86.3 13,644 10.0 3,293 2.4 1,432 1.0 377 0.3 137,092 
			 Dorset 55,815 93.3 3,715 6.2 160 0.3 98 0.2 23 0.0 59,811 
			 Durham 40,010 88.3 1,300 2.9 2,579 5.7 1,199 2.6 248 0.5 45,336 
			 Dyfed-Powys 36,527 85.7 4,909 11.5 1,027 2.4 176 0.4 3 0.0 42,642 
			 Essex 91,464 72.2 8,796 6.9 12,257 9.7 12,232 9.7 1,900 1.5 126,649 
			 Gloucester 41,280 86.4 2,143 4.5 1,875 3.9 580 1.2 1,907 4.0 47,785 
			 Greater Manchester 151,002 68.4 16,140 7.3 18,320 8.3 20,054 9.1 15,373 7.0 220,889 
			 Guernsey 561 48.0 462 39.6 115 9.8 29 2.5 1 0.1 1,168 
			 Gwent 26,399 67.6 3,559 9.1 4,046 10.4 4,575 11.7 456 1.2 39,035 
			 Hampshire 112,088 72.3 1,767 1.1 5,078 3.3 32,565 21.0 3,552 2.3 155,050 
			 Hertfordshire 79,706 87.4 5,754 6.3 4,199 4.6 1,406 1.5 136 0.1 91,201 
			 Humberside 6,467 10.0 463 0.7 7,523 11.7 36,902 57.3 13,033 20.2 64,388 
			 Isle of Man 101 6.4 14 0.9 285 18.0 1,143 72.0 44 2.8 1,587 
			 Jersey 146 8.1 8 0.4 342 19.1 1,240 69.1 59 3.3 1,795 
			 Kent 80,997 63.2 23,443 18.3 15,950 12.4 6,290 4.9 1,458 1.1 128,138 
			 Lancashire 105,631 88.3 8,010 6.7 4,720 3.9 1,272 1.1 14 0.0 119,647 
			 Leicestershire 45,668 56.4 6,099 7.5 9,834 12.1 5,289 6.5 14,148 17.5 81,038 
			 Lincolnshire 46,184 56.2 3,078 3.7 5,024 6.1 27,172 33.0 790 1.0 82,248 
			 Merseyside 93,307 77.5 5,237 4.4 14,961 12.4 6,587 5.5 245 0.2 120,337 
			 Metropolitan 221,050 36.0 48,262 7.9 65,958 10.8 152,762 24.9 125,294 20.4 613,326 
			 Norfolk 40,924 64.3 8,507 13.4 7,112 11.2 5,145 8.1 1,990 3.1 63,678 
			 North Wales 46,169 75.3 2,889 4.7 5,035 8.2 6,001 9.8 1,247 2.0 61,341 
			 North Yorkshire 27,015 36.5 14,130 19.1 24,189 32.6 8,774 11.8 3 0.0 74,111 
			 Northamptonshire 45,392 80.2 5,308 9.4 5,256 9.3 586 1.0 23 0.0 56,565 
			 Northumbria 72,802 70.3 7,281 7.0 13,236 12.8 6,318 6.1 3,871 3.7 103,508 
			 Nottinghamshire 46,436 60.5 19,744 25.7 7,941 10.3 1,913 2.5 708 0.9 76,742 
			 PSNI 13,421 98.0 43 0.3 117 0.9 109 0.8 3 0.0 13,693 
			 South Wales 78,374 85.6 3,512 3.8 1,647 1.8 3,761 4.1 4,239 4.6 91,533 
			 South Yorkshire 62,443 69.0 7,951 8.8 2,114 2.3 6,041 6.7 11,957 13.2 90,506 
			 Staffordshire 23,575 29.0 18,535 22.8 13,972 17.2 7,704 9.5 17,616 21.6 81,402 
			 Suffolk 16,247 31.9 3,949 7.8 13,404 26.3 13,476 26.5 3,821 7.5 50,897 
			 Surrey 74,046 72.5 9,299 9.1 8,650 8.5 5,578 5.5 4,500 4.4 102,073 
			 Sussex 65,760 51.8 29,087 22.9 27,519 21.7 4,549 3.6 8 0.0 126,923 
			 Thames Valley 38,595 20.4 18,924 10.0 37,864 20.0 78,487 41.5 15,213 8.0 189,083 
			 Warwickshire 36,006 89.7 1,523 3.8 1,456 3.6 1,115 2.8 22 0.1 40,122 
			 West Mercia 87,990 84.8 7,034 6.8 6,680 6.4 1,834 1.8 195 0.2 103,733 
			 West Midlands 85,224 38.2 35,247 15.8 64,367 28.9 14,248 6.4 23,752 10.7 222,838 
			 West Yorkshire 81,315 49.6 16,057 9.8 29,465 18.0 36,932 22.5 147 0.1 163,916 
			 Wiltshire 37,242 72.1 2,246 4.3 408 0.8 3,479 6.7 8,289 16.0 51,664 
			 MOD and PGA 2,121 95.4 56 2.5 35 1.6 11 0.5 0 0.0 2,223 
			 Royal Military Police 12,698 91.2 379 2.7 457 3.3 268 1.9 127 0.9 13,929 
			 Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency 23 44.2 5 9.6 8 15.4 10 19.2 6 11.5 52 
			 UK Central Authority 29 93.5 2 6.5 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 31 
			 Central 892 47.2 300 15.9 333 17.6 351 18.6 14 0.7 1,890 
			 Dumfries and Galloway 991 43.3 355 15.5 460 20.1 466 20.3 19 0.8 2,291 
			 Fife 1,114 44.9 370 14.9 469 18.9 504 20.3 25 1.0 2,482 
			 Grampian 1,902 44.1 595 13.8 880 20.4 893 20.7 42 1.0 4,312 
			 Lothian and Borders 4,173 46.4 1,343 14.9 1,709 19.0 1,714 19.1 48 0.5 8,987 
			 Northern 1,183 46.4 366 14.3 435 17.1 447 17.5 120 4.7 2,551 
			 Scottish Criminal Records Office 739 43.7 256 15.1 303 17.9 349 20.6 45 2.7 1,692 
			 Strathclyde 6,053 45.5 1,965 14.8 2,412 18.1 2,759 20.7 127 1.0 13,316 
			 Tayside 1,495 42.6 493 14.0 639 18.2 745 21.2 138 3.9 3,510 
			  2,620,624  452,385  555,123  600,588  288,457  4,517,177

Wildlife: Crime

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many wild reptiles have been seized as illegal imports at UK airports and ports in the last 12 months.

Phil Woolas: The following table provides data sourced from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) central records, regarding seizures of live reptiles between 1 April 2007 and 31 March 2008.
	These reptiles were seized using customs enforcement powers, in relation to live animals listed as endangered species under Council Regulation (EC) No 338/97, on the protection of species of wild fauna and flora.
	The numbers quoted are the most recent published figures available for a complete financial year. Figures for seizures since 1 April 2008 remain provisional and will be subject to end of year quality assurance checks before they are released into the public domain by HMRC in their next annual report.
	The total number of seizures of endangered species and related products made by Customs officers in 2007-08, can be found at annex F of HMRC's published departmental report 2008.
	
		
			  Live reptiles 
			   Number 
			 Seizures 21 
			 Items seized 347

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Beer: Measurement

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what recent steps his Department has taken to ensure that full measures of beer are served in pubs.

David Lammy: Weights and Measures law already applies to beer and it is an offence to serve short measure.
	We have considered whether there is a need to strengthen the law in this area to allow for the specific characteristics of beer and have carried out three public consultations on this issue. However, there was no consensus among stakeholders on whether action was necessary or if so what action should be taken.
	Currently the law provides that a pint of beer can include a frothy head. Given that industry guidelines provide that consumers can ask for and receive a top up, we are satisfied that drinkers are sufficiently protected. Therefore, on balance, given the scale of the issue and the costs involved, we believe there is no need for further regulation at present.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many  (a) printers and  (b) multi-function devices with printing functions were in use in each division of his Department in each year since its creation; how many such devices had a function enabling two-sided printing; and if he will make a statement.

Si�n Simon: Currently the Department supports
	 (a) 13 HP2015 printers
	 (b) 25 Lexmark X854 multi-function devices and 18 Lexmark X945 multi-function devices.
	These are provided on a per floor basis in our hot-desking environment, so it is not possible to allocate these devices to individuals divisions or business groups. All of these devices support two-sided printing.
	Additionally, we support some small printers for occasional home use. These only support single sided printing. There is no central record of the number of these printers in use.
	DIUS was created in June 2007. Our records do not show how many printers and multi-function devices were in use each year since that date.

Students: Loans

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 
	(1)  how many graduates were paying back a proportion of their student loans in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how much the Student Loans Company received in interest on student loans in each of the last five years;
	(3)  what the total amount of outstanding student loans was  (a) in each of the last five years and  (b) on the latest date for which figures are available;
	(4)  how much the Student Loans Company received in student loan repayments in each of the last five years;
	(5)  how many student loan debts were outstanding  (a) in each of the last five years and  (b) on the latest date for which figures are available;
	(6)  how many student loans were repaid in full in each of the last three years.

David Lammy: holding answer 20 April 2009
	The Statistical First Release Student Loans for Higher Education in England, Financial Year 2007-08 (Provisional) includes figures of mortgage-style loan borrowers paying back loans and up to date or ahead with repayments, interest added to all loans and all loans repaid in full. This document is published by the Student Loans Company and available on the SLC website at:
	www.slc.co.uk/pdf/slcsfr022008.pdf
	
		
			  Income-contingent borrowers repaying a proportion of their student loan by financial year( 1) 
			  England  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 (provisional) 
			 Above earnings threshold(2) 194,300 253,200 374,700 
			 Below earnings threshold at year end but have made repayments via the tax system during the last year(3) 59,500 111,400 152,100 
			 Total 253,800 364,600 526,800 
			 (1) Borrowers are shown by their known status at the end of the financial year. The SLC are notified of borrowers repayments by HMRC, usually within one year of the end of the tax year they relate to. Therefore in addition to those borrowers shown in the table there may have been other borrowers making repayments that SLC had not yet been informed of at the time the data was captured. Consistent data are not available for earlier years. (2) Borrowers for whom the latest tax year return indicates they are above the earnings threshold for repayment. (3) Those whose earnings fluctuated during the year and who have therefore made repayments in some months but have earnings below the threshold at the end of the financial year.  Source:  Student Loans Company. 
		
	
	The value of outstanding loans is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Student loans balance outstanding at end of financial year 
			   million 
			  England( 1)  Income-contingent  Mortgage-style  Total 
			 2003-04 9,270.0 1,606.6 10,876.6 
			 2004-05 11,623.5 1,410.0 13,033.4 
			 2005-06 14,101.4 1,226.7 15,328.1 
			 2006-07 17,045.7 1,079.8 18,125.5 
			 2007-08 (provisional) 20,981.9 971.3 21,953.2 
			 (1) English domiciled students studying in the UK and EU students studying in England.  Source:  Student Loans Company. 
		
	
	The value of outstanding income-contingent loans has increased year-on-year because these loans were first introduced in 1998, and tuition fee loans became available for the first time from 2006-07.
	The Student Loans Company received the following repayments:
	
		
			  Student loans  repayments by  financial year 
			   million 
			  England( 1)  Income-contingent  Mortgage-style  Total 
			 2003-04(2)   348.0 
			 2004-05(2)   417.3 
			 2005-06 268.4 213.2 481.6 
			 2006-07 359.2 170.7 529.8 
			 2007-08 (provisional) 494.2 139.3 633.5 
			 (1) English domiciled students studying in the UK and EU students studying in England. (2) Split of income-contingent and mortgage-style loan repayments not available for 2003-04 and 2004-05.  Source:  Student Loans Company. 
		
	
	The number of student loan debts outstanding are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Number of student loan  borrowers at the  end of  each  financial year( 1) 
			  England( 2)  Income-contingent  Mortgage-style  All loans( 3) 
			 2004-05 1,581,100 526,500 2,081,200 
			 2005-06 1,831,300 459,600 2,263,800 
			 2006-07 2,089,600 394,700 2,458,000 
			 2007-08 (provisional) 2,359,800 341,300 2,676,100 
			 (1) Includes those who are not yet required to make repayments. Consistent data are not available for earlier years. (2) English domiciled students studying in the UK and EU students studying in England. (3) Some borrowers have both types of loan, therefore the All loans column is not a sum of the preceding columns.  Source:  Student Loans Company. 
		
	
	Figures on mortgage-style loans throughout the answer exclude the portfolios of loans sold to the private sector in 1998 and 1999.

Vocational Training: Accidents

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many  (a) fatalities and  (b) serious injuries there have been on Government-funded training programmes in each year since the inception of the Learning and Skills Council (LSC); what the nature of each incident was; what the age of each individual involved was; whether any recommendations for the conduct of such programmes that arose from inquiries into each incident were made; and whether any compensation payments were made by (i) the LSC and (ii) training providers consequent on each incident.

Si�n Simon: The Learning and Skills Council works with providers and employers to ensure that the health and safety of learners, including apprentices over the age of 19, is of paramount importance. The information requested is not held by the Department. I have asked Geoff Russell, the LSC's acting chief executive, to write to my hon. Friend with the information he has requested. A copy of his reply will be placed in the House Libraries.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Departmental Computers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many laptop computers have been provided to  (a) Ministers,  (b) special advisers and  (c) civil servants in his Department in each year since 2005; and at what cost.

Michael Foster: Since 2005 the Department for International Development has provided the following laptop computers.
	
		
			   Number of Laptops provided  
			   Ministers  Special Advisers  Civil Servants  Cost () 
			 2005   1,272 636,000 
			 2006   524 288,200 
			 2007   259 155,400 
			 2008   1,366 625,204 
			 2009  2 239 110,279 
		
	
	The figures in 2008 and 2009 reflect a programme to replace previously issued laptops.

Departmental Mobile Phones

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much has been spent on  (a) the purchase of and  (b) bills for (i) BlackBerrys and (ii) other mobile telephones for (A) Ministers, (B) special advisers and (C) civil servants in his Department in each year since 2005.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) purchases its mobile telephones and BlackBerrys from a number of suppliers. No central record is held within DFID of the costs of purchase and usage, and this could not be obtained without disproportionate cost.

Departmental Mobile Phones

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many  (a) BlackBerrys and  (b) other mobile telephones have been provided to (i) Ministers, (ii) special advisers and (iii) civil servants in his Department in each year since 2005.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) purchases its mobile telephones and BlackBerrys from a number of suppliers. No central record is held within DFID of the number of BlackBerrys and phones that have been provided, and this could not be obtained without disproportionate cost.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding his Department provided to the  (a) Home Office and  (b) Foreign and Commonwealth Office migration funds in each financial year since 2001.

Ivan Lewis: The Department for International Development (DFID) transferred 1 million to the Home Office Migration Fund in each of the financial years 2006-07 and 2007-08.
	DFID transferred 5 million to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in the last financial year (2008-09) as our contribution to the Returns and Reintegration Fund (a pooled fund comprising DFID, FCO, United Kingdom Borders Agency (UKBA) and Ministry of Justice (MOJ) financial resources and expertise, administered by the FCO).

Departmental Training

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many  (a) staff and  (b) ministerial away days have been organised by his Department in each of the last five years; and what the cost of such events was in each year.

Ivan Lewis: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 15 January 2009,  Official Report, column 911W, to the hon. Member for Sutton Coldfield (Mr. Mitchell).

Departmental Training

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his Department's policy is on holding departmental away days at locations other than departmental premises.

Ivan Lewis: Individual departments and overseas offices within DFID plan and manage away days, training events and team building exercises in accordance with their specific needs; and in the context of business planning, professional development and performance improvement. These events are permitted to take place outside DFID premises, but the venues should be located close to a DFID office. The costs of holding such events must be proportionate to the benefits derived, offer value for money and not interfere with the normal conduct of DFID's business.

Iran: Drugs

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance is being provided under his Department's auspices to the Iranian anti-drug enforcement agencies.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) is not providing funding to Iranian anti-drug enforcement agencies.

Overseas Aid

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what humanitarian assistance the Government have provided to the population of the Democratic Republic of Congo in the last 12 months;
	(2)  what humanitarian assistance the Government have provided to the population of Sierra Leone in the last 12 months;
	(3)  what humanitarian assistance the Government has provided to the population of Sri Lanka in the last 12 months;
	(4)  what humanitarian assistance the Government have provided to the population of Afghanistan in the last 12 months.

Michael Foster: Details on the Department for International Development's (DFID) bilateral expenditure are contained in the publication 'Statistics on International Development'. This is available in the Library of the House and online at:
	www.dfid.gov.uk
	The relevant figures are produced in the following table.
	
		
			  DFID Bilateral humanitarian assistance expenditure 2007-08 
			  Country   000 
			 Congo (Dem Rep) 46,156 
			 Sierra Leone  
			 Afghanistan 8,304 
			 Sri Lanka 1,819 
		
	
	Details on DFID's expenditure in 2008-09 are not yet available but will be published in the 2009 annual report in July.

St. Helena: Airports

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department has incurred expenditure on legal advice in preparation for a possible judicial review of the decision to pause negotiations on a proposed St. Helena airport.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) has incurred expenditure for legal advice on a range of matters related to the possible St. Helena airport as part of its consideration on how to proceed.

JUSTICE

Antisocial Behaviour: Fixed Penalties

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many penalty notices for disorder were issued  (a) in a police station and  (b) on the street in 2007.

Jack Straw: Information available to the Ministry of Justice on the number of persons aged 16 and over issued with a penalty notice for disorder (PND) in  (a) a police station and  (b) on the street, in England and Wales, 2007 can be viewed in the following table.
	2008 data will be available in the autumn of 2009.
	PNDs were introduced under the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001, to provide the police with a simple financial punishment to deal with minor disorder offences either at a police station or on the street. Operational guidance to forces issued by the Secretary of State for Justice sets out the criteria which should be considered by officers in deciding where to issue a PND.
	
		
			  Number of persons aged 16 and over issued with a Penalty Notice for Disorder in a police station and on the street in England and Wales, 2007( 1) 
			  England and Wales  Number 
			 Police station 115,939 
			 Street 91,605 
			 (1) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: OCJR EA (Office for Criminal Justice Reform, Evidence and Analysis Unit), Ministry of Justice

Council for the Registration of Forensic Practitioners

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent discussions he and officials of his Department have had with representatives of  (a) the Home Office and  (b) the Lord Chief Justice on the closure of the Council for the Registration of Forensic Practitioners; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: I have been asked to reply.
	The independent forensic science regulator was appointed in February 2008 and given responsibility for regulating forensic science quality standards. Since then he has published his Manual of Regulation, his Review of the Options for the Accreditation of Forensic Practitioners, and Quality standards for the Providers of Forensic Sciences to the Criminal Justice System. The regulator proposes to move to a more robust model of standards regulation that moves the focus from just forensic practitioners to include standards for organisations, practitioners and the science methods used. The forensic science laboratories are already accredited to testing international standards, accreditation that now includes assessment by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) of practitioner competence.
	Policy decisions regarding forensic science rest with the Home Office and policy decisions regarding the public funding for CRFP are the responsibility of the National Policing Improvement Agency. However, such decisions were agreed with Home Office Ministers. The Home Office Minister wrote to the Secretary of State for Justice and the Lord Chief Justice with advance copies of the regulator's report on the Options for the Accreditation of Forensic Practitioners.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the  (a) energy consumed by,  (b) energy cost of and  (c) carbon dioxide emissions from each category of IT device in each division of his Department and its predecessor in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The Ministry of Justice is committed to reducing its carbon emissions in accordance with the campaign initiated by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Activities. In order to support this commitment MOJ has employed third party expertise to conduct a Green ICT Scorecard exercise. This analysis of the sustainability of IT operations in MOJ has helped to identify where current 'carbon hotspots' are and where MOJ should focus its efforts for improvement.
	The overall energy consumption of IT devices used by MOJ is difficult to evaluate as much of MOJ's estate is within buildings shared with other organisations like police and local councils. Within locations which house solely MOJ operations, IT devices are not metered separately from the other electrical equipment so the electricity consumption associated specifically with IT devices has not been determined.
	As data centres are solely for housing and running IT equipment it can reasonably be considered that all power supplied to a data centre is for IT devices be it directly or indirectly. Because MOJ's IT is outsourced, all of its major data centres our outside of the MOJ estate and shared with other clients. As such the power consumption of these sites is not a direct cost to MOJ nor is it reported to MOJ. Nevertheless, MOJ has been working closely with its suppliers to include data centres in the Green ICT Scorecard work and it has already led to increased data centre energy efficiency without negatively affecting the volume or efficiency of data processing.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps his Department has taken to address the effect on levels of carbon dioxide emissions from his Department of its ICT purchases since the publication of the Greening Government ICT Strategy; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The Ministry of Justice is committed to reducing its carbon emissions in accordance with the campaign initiated by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Activities and the Greening Government ICT Strategy. The MOJ recognises that making Green IT work is not just about technology but also about embedding sustainability in our process and behaviour as well.
	MOJ has worked to meet the 'Areas for ICT Carbon Reduction' in the Greening Government ICT Strategy improving the sustainability of its printing, the energy efficiency of its desktop PCs and data centres.
	MOJ has built sustainable IT principles into its IT policy and consideration of sustainability forms part of process of evaluation of changes to the IT estate. MOJ is working with its suppliers to improve the energy efficiency of IT operations both in its outsourced data centres and at its own sites and has employed third party expertise to analyse the sustainability of IT operations managed by a sample of MOJ's key suppliers and advise on how best to realise improvements.
	This work has already led to increased data centre energy efficiency, and work on the centralisation of data processing will further reduce data centre energy consumption without negatively affecting the volume or efficiency of data processing carried out. The convergence of formerly separate networks offers better sharing of IT resources for staff and the reduction of the overall number of devices we need to deliver the same level of service.
	MOJ has also used initiatives to realise the positive impact that ICT can have on the overall carbon emissions of its operations. It continues to invest in video-conferencing and teleconferencing technology to reduce emissions. The imminent uplift of desktop PCs will offer not just improved power management to reduce energy consumption but also roaming profiles allowing any users to log to any machine helping support MOJ estates' goal of 80 per cent. desking and a reduction in the overall size of the MOJ HQ estate.
	MOJ is also working on staff awareness of green IT issues. Campaigns have been run encouraging the shut down of electrical items outside of office hours, the reduction of printing and paper consumption and the better use of video-conferencing and teleconferencing to reduce travel.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate has been made of the proportion of personal computers in each of his Department's offices that are turned off  (a) overnight,  (b) at weekends and  (c) during holiday periods; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The Ministry of Justice is committed to reducing its carbon emissions in accordance with the campaign initiated by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Activities. Most of the Department's IT equipment is switched off overnight, as a matter of routine. The capability for automated shut down is being added into PCs as a rolling programme of replacement takes place.
	There are some PCs that have had to be left on in order to safeguard overnight data processing on some systems. In conjunction with our IT suppliers we are currently piloting a technical solution to remove this need. If successful it will be rolled out to all relevant areas of the Department.
	Within National Offender Management Service, including Her Majesty's Prison Service, computers that are logged off but left switched on will automatically shut down out of office hours.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of IT products in each category procured for each division of his Department were compliant with the Government's Buy Sustainable-Quick Wins standard in the latest year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The Ministry of Justice is committed to reducing its carbon emissions in accordance with the campaign initiated by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Activities.
	The Ministry of Justice out sources its IT function and the selection and purchase of IT equipment is conducted by its suppliers. MOJ's IT contracts include contractual criteria in line with the version of the OGC Buy Sustainable-Quick Wins which were available at the time. Consequentially, IT devices will comply with the Buy Sustainable-Quick Wins criteria for the contract they are purchased under.
	As the Buy Sustainable-Quick Wins standards have become more comprehensive than those in the current contractual commitment, precise numbers and proportions of procured IT devices that comply with the updated standard have not been recorded.
	The Buy Sustainable-Quick Wins standards are referenced as part of MOJ's Sustainable Procurement Policy and therefore are part of the criteria that MOJ will include in its contract negotiations for ICT equipment and services. MOJ is in discussion with its suppliers regarding a commitment to use the current the Buy Sustainable-Quick Wins standards as the minimum for future purchases.

Firearms: Sentencing

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people have received the minimum jail sentence of five years for possession of a firearm in each year since 2004.

Jack Straw: The available information is shown in the following table.
	Figures for 2008 will be available later this year.
	
		
			  Persons sentenced for firearms offences liable for five years minimum custodial sentence as prescribed by the Criminal Justice Act 2003( 1) , 2003- 07 
			   Number 
			 2004(2) 81 
			 2005 142 
			 2006 136 
			 2007 141 
			 (1) Offences under Firearms Act 1968 of possessing or distributing prohibited weapons or ammunition, or possessing or distributing firearms disguised as other object. (2) The mandatory is only applicable for offences that occurred on or after 26-01-2004 Many of the persons dealt with in 2004 will have committed their offences prior to the mandatory being introduced. Five years is the Mandatory minimum for persons aged over 18 at time of offence and for offences taking place after 26-01-2004  Notes: 1. The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with, when a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. 2. These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system  Source:  OMS Analytical Services, Ministry of Justice

Homophobia: Incitement

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what representations he has received in favour of repeal of the so-called Waddington amendment in respect of incitement to homophobic hatred; and from which organisations he has received such representations.

Maria Eagle: As of 8 April, the Department has received a total of 89 representations expressing a view on the freedom of speech section. Of these, seven were in favour of repeal. They were from individuals rather than organisations. In its recent report, the Joint Committee on Human Rights repeated its view that the offence, without the so-called Waddington amendment, provides adequate safeguards for freedom of speech. Other organisations have issued separate public statements in favour of repeal, including Stonewall, Unison, and The British Humanist Association.

Land Registry: Standards

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what percentage of all registrations received by HM Land Registry in each of the last three years were processed within two working days.

Jack Straw: The information requested is currently being collated and I will write to the hon. Member as soon as it is available. I will also place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Legal Aid: Housing

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 11 March 2009,  Official Report, column 453W, on legal aid: housing, when the information sought will be collated.

Shahid Malik: I wrote to the hon. Member on 20 April with the information sought and I will place a copy of the letter in the Library of the House.

Magistrates Courts

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many cases were heard in magistrates courts in each year since 1997.

Jack Straw: The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts, heard at magistrates courts and committed for trial at crown court, for all offences in England and Wales, 1997 to 2007 can be viewed in the following table.
	These data are on the principal offence basis. The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the offence selected is the one for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
	Court proceedings data for 2008 will be available in the autumn of 2009.
	
		
			  N umber of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts, heard at magistrates courts and committed for trial at the Crown court, for all offences in England and Wales, 1997 to 2007( 1, 2, 3) 
			   Of which: 
			   Proceeded against at magistrates courts  Heard at magistrates courts  Committed for trial at crown court 
			 1997 1,855,333 1,767,654 87,679 
			 1998 1,951,915 1,878,537 73,378 
			 1999 1,881,765 1,809,475 72,290 
			 2000 1,904,677 1,834,437 70,240 
			 2001 1,837,733 1,758,564 79,169 
			 2002 1,924,828 1,842,003 82,825 
			 2003 2,000,822 1,919,227 81,595 
			 2004 2,022,604 1,944,195 78,409 
			 2005 1,895,002 1,814,128 80,874 
			 2006 1,779,307 1,699,839 79,468 
			 2007 1,732,506 1,648,071 84,435 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts, and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) All cases are initially proceeded against (i.e. prosecuted) at magistrates courts, where the majority are then heard. Other more serious cases are committed for trial at the crown court. (4) Includes proceeding discontinued, discharged, withdrawn, dismissed, and found guilty at the magistrates courts.  Source: OCJR-E and A: Office for Criminal Justice ReformEvidence and Analysis' Unit, Ministry of JusticeOur ref: PQ 268866 (Table)

Prison Accommodation

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many offenders held in a cell designed for one inmate shared it with one other in each of the last five years.

Jack Straw: The table shows the average number of prisoners reported as being doubled in cells certified to hold one person and the percentage of prisoners in crowded accommodation for the last five years and provisional data for April 2008 to February 2009.
	Since 1997 prison capacity has been increased by 24,000 places. In addition the Government announced an additional 20,000 places as part of the Capacity Programme, of which 4,600 has already been provided. The aim is to increase capacity to 96,000 by 2014.
	Prisons can hold a number of prisoners beyond their Certified Normal Accommodation (CNA), subject to a maximum, which is known as the operational capacity. Operational capacity is defined as the total number of prisoners that an establishment can hold without serious risk to good order, security and the proper running of planned regimes. Crowding will be within the limit of operational capacity.
	
		
			  Financial year  Average number of prisoners doubling up in cells designed for one  Percentage of prisoners in crowded accommodation 
			 2003-04 16,244 24.8 
			 2004-05 16,864 24.3 
			 2005-06 16,887 24.0 
			 2006-07 18,190 24.6 
			 2007-08 19,054 25.3 
			 2008-09 (April to February) 19,180 24.8

Prisoners' Discharge Grants

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was spent on discharge grant in each of the last five years.

Jack Straw: The amount of expenditure recorded as discharge grant in each year for the last five years is given as follows.
	
		
			   000 
			 2007-08 4,407 
			 2006-07 3,509 
			 2005-06 3,737 
			 2004-05 4,154 
			 2003-04 4,270 
		
	
	In 2007-08 End of Custody Licence was introduced and some expenditure on subsistence payments made to prisoners on discharge has been included in the recorded expenditure for discharge grants. It would incur disproportionate costs to separate this amount as we would need to survey all prison establishments.
	The purpose of the Discharge Grant is to enable the prisoner to meet their immediate subsistence needs in the first week after release. Whether they are going straight into employment or applying for benefits, they will receive payment in arrears. Without a discharge grant, therefore, there would be an increased risk that prisoners would re-offend in order to meet their immediate financial needs.
	Sentenced prisoners are eligible on release for a Discharge Grant of 46 unless certain exclusions apply. These exclusions include, for example: those serving a sentence of 14 days or less; those awaiting deportation or removal from the United Kingdom; those who are known to have in excess of 8,000 in savings (and would therefore be ineligible for income support under the relevant regulations).

Prisoners on Remand: Sentencing

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many offenders held on remand were not given a custodial sentence in each of the last five years.

Jack Straw: The available information taken from the publication Criminal Statistics, England and Wales for the years 2003-07 inc. (latest available) is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  The estimated numbers( 1)  of persons remanded in custody, and the number of offenders who subsequently received a non-custodial sentence at magistrates' courts or the Crown court( 2) , England and Wales, 2003-07 
			  Thousands of persons 
			   2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Number of persons remanded in custody(3) 100.9 86.7 79.2 74.0 71.5 
			  Of which:  
			 Number of offenders who received a non-custodial sentence(4) 308 25.9 23.5 21.5 21.3 
			 (1) Includes estimates for those offences omitted from data supplied. (2) Crown court cases are not necessarily concluded in the same year as the committal therefore the figures presented may include cases where defendants were remanded in custody during earlier years than under which they are presented in this table. (3) Includes those remanded for part of the time in custody and part on bail. (4) Final outcome includes: discharged, fine community sentences, fully suspended sentences, supervision orders, community punishment orders, attendance centre orders, community punishment and rehabilitation orders, curfew orders, reparation orders, action plan orders and other disposals which do not involve any element of custodial treatment.  Notes : 1. The figures presented in this table exclude those defendants who failed to surrender to bail. 2 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 3. For Magistrates' courts cases, the number of remands and more importantly, the number which are in custody, are believed to be under-recorded in total. The extent of under-recording is not known, as only limited checks are available with independently collected data. However, it is clear that the breakdown of remands into bail and custody cases is not accurate for a number of forces. The accuracy of data about Crown court remand decisions has improved as a result of data being returned directly from the Crown court computer system. Prepared by OCJR Evidence and Analysis Unit.  Source: OCJR Court proceedings database.

Prisoners Release

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many early releases under the End of Custody Licence release scheme there have been from each prison in each month since the scheme came into effect, broken down by original offence; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: Information on the number of prisoners released under the End of Custody Licence (ECL) scheme each month by (a) prison establishment, and separately (b) offence group have been placed in the House Library. To produce a table that showed a combined breakdown of the number of ECL releases each month by offence group in each prison establishment would incur disproportionate cost.
	The figures presented in the answer are published monthly and available on the Ministry of Justice website at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/endofcustodylicence.htm
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prisoners: Solitary Confinement

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners have been held in solitary confinement for over one year; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: Prisoners are never subject to solitary confinement. They are placed in segregation where they are provided with a regime which allows access to education, exercise, and where appropriate association. Information about the numbers of prisoners segregated for more than a year is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
	The segregation of prisoners is subject to specified safeguards. These include an assessment by medical staff of whether any mental health, other healthcare or self harm issues might advise against segregation. A prisoner at risk of self harm will be segregated only in exceptional circumstances and if possible, will be located in a safer cell. Prisoners in segregation are visited each day by medical staff and regularly by members of the Independent Monitoring Board. Continued segregation for three months or more is subject to regular assessment and monitoring by the Governor and area manager. The aim is always to return the prisoner to normal location as soon as possible.

Prisoners: Zimbabwe

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many Zimbabwean nationals are being held in prison.

David Hanson: At the end of December 2008, there were 208 Zimbabwean prisoners held in prison establishments in England and Wales. This includes those being held on remand and those serving sentences. This information can be found in the following Ministry of Justice website at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/populationincustody.htm
	where the information on foreign national prisoners is updated quarterly.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prisons

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to publish his response to the consultation on Titan prisons.

David Hanson: The consultation on the new prisons, formerly known as 'Titans', closed at the end of August 2008.
	We are grateful to all those who have contributed to the consultation process and we will publish our response shortly.

Prisons: Mobile Phones

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which prisons host mobile telephone masts.

David Hanson: Telephone/radio masts are sited on prison property at Acklington, Deerbolt, Doncaster (privately operated), Grendon/Springhill, Nottingham, Ranby, Stocken, Wellingborough and Woodhill. Masts at Acklington, Grendon/Springhill and Woodhill are used by the emergency services, mainly the police.

Probation

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many probation areas provide unpaid work assignments for offenders in the evening.

Jack Straw: Community Payback (unpaid work) operates seven days a week with weekend projects in all probation areas. Evening Community Payback schemes are not always practical or cost effective given the types of work involved. However, 15 probation areas report that indoor Community Payback work placements are operated in the evenings.
	Offenders sentenced to Community Payback forfeit their free time to do tough demanding work which benefits the community. In this way they make reparation to the community for their crimes.
	Last year (2007-08) 55,771 people successfully completed Community Payback sentences. This amounts to over 6 million hours of free labour, which was used to benefit the community.
	Projects have included removing graffiti, bringing derelict areas and buildings back into public use, clearing church yards, country streams and unused allotments, repairing park benches and playground equipment. A lot of work is undertaken on environmental projects and also with schools, community centres, with faith groups and local authorities. It would not be practical or cost effective to undertake many of these tasks during the evening.

Probation Service: Manpower

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people in each cohort are in training to enter the probation service; and how many posts in the service he estimates will be available for newly qualified people from each cohort.

Jack Straw: There are two cohorts of trainee probation officers currently in training. Cohort 10 numbers 513 and Cohort 11 numbers 305. The majority of cohort 10 will qualify in September this year. It is too early to predict the numbers who will be offered employment.
	Probation training is currently subject to a major review, so that in future trainees will be offered jobs at the start of the training, not at the end.

Reoffenders

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the local  (a) adult and  (b) juvenile reoffending rate was in each (i) London borough and (ii) upper tier local authority in the latest year for which information is available; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: The published national statistics on adult and juvenile reoffending are not broken down by area.
	Published data on local adult reoffending in all upper tier local authorities in England and Wales (including all London boroughs) are available at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/docs/local-adult-reoffending-oct07-sept08.pdf
	These data include all offenders on the probation caseload and cover reoffending over the period 1 October 2007 to 30 September 2008.
	Reoffending of juveniles at the local level is measured on a different basis to adults at the local level. The areas used are not coterminous with local authorities.

Sentencing: Foreigners

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many foreign nationals 
	(1)  were  (a) convicted of and  (b) sentenced to immediate custody for (i) drug dealing and (ii) firearms offences in 2007;
	(2)  are serving custodial sentences for  (a) drug dealing and  (b) firearms offences.

David Hanson: The information requested is not available as court proceedings held by the Ministry of Justice do not record offender's nationality.
	It is not possible to separately identify the number serving sentences for drug dealing and firearms offences as the data held centrally is not accurately recorded to this level of detail.

Theft: Convictions

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many convictions for  (a) shoplifting,  (b) robbery of business property and  (c) theft by an employee there were in the quarter between July and September in (i) 2003, (ii) 2004, (iii) 2005, (iv) 2006, (v) 2007 and (vi) 2008.

Jack Straw: The number of defendants found guilty at all courts for burglary in a building other than a dwelling, robbery, stealing by an employee and stealing from shops and stalls (shoplifting) in the quarter July to September in England and Wales for the years 2003 to 2007 is shown in the table.
	Court proceedings data cannot separately identify cases of robbery which relate to robbery of business property and those which relate to other types of property. This level of detail is not held by the Ministry of Justice.
	These data are on the principal offence basis. The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the offence selected is the one for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
	Court proceedings data for 2008 will be available in the autumn of 2009.
	
		
			  N umber of defendants found guilty at all courts for offences relating to stealing from shops and stalls (shoplifting), robbery, burglary in a building other than a dwelling, and stealing by an employee in the quarter July to September in England and Wales for the years 2003 - 07( 1,)( )( 2,)( )( 3) 
			Found guilty 
			Quarter 3 (July to September) 
			  Statute  Offence description  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Theft Act 1968 Sec 1. Stealing from shops and stalls(shoplifting) 17,703 16,344 15,432 13,848 15,258 
			 Theft Act 1968 Sec 8. Robbery 1,858 1,865 1,710 2,070 2,136 
			 Theft Act 1968 Sec 9. Burglary in a building other than a dwelling with intent to commit or the commission of an offence triable only on indictment 19 29 22 24 37 
			 Theft Act 1968 Sec 9. Other burglary in a building other than a dwelling 2,846 2,546 2,595 2,721 2,702 
			 Theft Act 1968 Sec 1. Stealing by an employee 643 659 689 630 641 
			 Total  3,069 21,443 20,448 19,293 20,774 
			 (1) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) From data under the Theft Act Section 8 it is not possible to separately identify those robbery offences that were committed against a business.  Source: Evidence and Analysis UnitOffice for Criminal Justice Reform, Ministry of Justice

Vandalism: Convictions

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) prosecutions and  (b) convictions there have been for offences relating to acts of vandalism in (i) West Chelmsford constituency, (ii) Essex and (iii) England in each year since 2000.

Maria Eagle: The number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for offences of criminal damage, including acts of vandalism, in the Essex police force area and England from 2000-07 (latest available) is shown in the following table.
	Court proceedings data held by the Ministry of Justice do not enable offences involving vandalism to be separately identified from other acts of criminal damage.
	Data are given in the table for Essex police force area. It is not possible to further break down data to constituency level (i.e. West Chelmsford) as this level of detail is not held centrally.
	Data for 2008 will be available in the autumn of 2009.
	
		
			  N umber of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts of criminal damage( 1) , in Essex and England, 2000 - 07( 2)( , )( 3) 
			   Proceeded against  Found guilty 
			  2000( 4)   
			 Essex 1,484 938 
			 England 53080 35,322 
			
			  2001   
			 Essex 1,530 1,027 
			 England 53,541 34,734 
			
			  2002   
			 Essex 1,425 957 
			 England 55,681 36,337 
			
			  2003   
			 Essex 1,445 974 
			 England 57,099 37,979 
			
			  2004   
			 Essex 1,627 1,136 
			 England 56,347 40,220 
			
			  2005   
			 Essex 1,801 1,299 
			 England 53,635 39,933 
			
			  2006   
			 Essex 1,671 1,302 
			 England 52,736 40,333 
			
			  2007   
			 Essex 1,587 1,311 
			 England 52,790 41,981 
			 (1) The offence of vandalism cannot be separated from other criminal damage offences. (2) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (4) Staffordshire Police Force were only able to submit sample data for persons proceeded against and convicted in the magistrates' courts for the year 2000. These data are included in the figures given for England.  Source:  Office for Criminal Justice Reform - Evidence and Analysis Unit.

Vandalism: Wiltshire

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) prosecutions and  (b) convictions there were for vandalism in (i) North Wiltshire and (ii) Wiltshire in each year since 2000.

Maria Eagle: The number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for offences of criminal damage, including acts of vandalism, in Wiltshire police force area from 2000 to 2007 (latest available) is shown in the table.
	Court proceedings data held by the Ministry of Justice do not enable offences involving vandalism to be separately identified from other acts of criminal damage.
	Data are given in the table for Wiltshire police force area. It is not possible to further break down data to constituency level (i.e. North Wiltshire) as this level of detail is not held centrally.
	Data for 2008 will be available at the end of November 2009.
	
		
			  Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts of criminal damage( 1) , in the Wiltshire police force area, 2000 - 07( 2,)( )( 3) 
			   Indictable offences  Summary offences  All offences 
			  2000
			 Proceeded against 94 537 631 
			 Found guilty 68 446 514 
			 
			  2001
			 Proceeded against 72 505 577 
			 Found guilty 48 409 457 
			 
			  2002
			 Proceeded against 100 535 635 
			 Found guilty 50 443 493 
			 
			  2003
			 Proceeded against 126 583 709 
			 Found guilty 75 482 557 
			 
			  2004
			 Proceeded against 98 573 671 
			 Found guilty 58 461 519 
			 
			  2005
			 Proceeded against 102 548 650 
			 Found guilty 75 435 510 
			 
			  2006
			 Proceeded against 71 462 533 
			 Found guilty 43 377 420 
			 
			  2007
			 Proceeded against 66 452 518 
			 Found guilty 52 380 432 
			 (1) The offence of vandalism cannot be separated from other criminal damage offences. (2) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Office for Criminal Justice ReformEvidence and Analysis Unit.

Victim Support Schemes

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent steps his Department has taken to improve support for families of murder victims.

Maria Eagle: In January 2009 the Government appointed Ms Sara Payne as Victims' Champion to ensure that the views of victims and those bereaved by homicide are heard. The Victims' Champion has been meeting with victims of all crime types to better understand what works well in the system and where there is need for further reform. Ms Payne will feed these views to Ministers throughout the year.
	Since October 2007 the CPS has offered bereaved relatives a pre-trial meeting with the CPS prosecutor to answer any questions they may have. They also offer the option of the prosecution advising on and reading out the family impact statement in court, enabling the family to express how the crime has affected them.
	The Office of Criminal Justice Reform has recently updated the information pack information for the bereaved given by Family Liaison Officers to bereaved family and friends following murder and manslaughter. This pack provides useful information about decisions and arrangements bereaved families and friends may need to make. It also explains how the Criminal Justice System works and the role of the police, the coroner and the courts. It provides contact details of various organisations and support groups to which bereaved families and friends can be signposted. The updated guide is due to be published in May.
	The Office for Criminal Justice Reform has been working closely with Support after Murder and Manslaughter (SAMM) to develop the services the charity provides to victims of homicide and improve awareness of victim needs within partner organisations, particularly the police service. SAMM staff and volunteers deliver training to family liaison officers and other statutory agencies who provide direct support to those bereaved through homicide.
	SAMM receives a grant of 140,000 a year from the OCJR to deliver services.

Victim Support Schemes

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent steps his Department has taken to improve support for those injured in road traffic accidents where another person or persons has been found criminally liable for their injuries.

Maria Eagle: Under the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime (2004), victims of road traffic incidents are referred by the police to Victim Support for dedicated one to one support. This includes victims of traffic incidents where someone has been found liable for a criminal offence.
	Since 2007 the Government have provided significant additional investment to Victim Support (12.6 million) to enable the organisation to either deliver services directly to victims or to commission additional, tailored services for victims that it may be unable to provide itself.
	In addition each family will be assigned a police family liaison officer who will work with the family throughout the investigation. The FLOFamily Liaison Officerwill assist the family by liaising with any support services they may need.
	In all road traffic incidents involving serious injury or death the police will provide a copy of the bereavement guide which is funded by the Government and produced by the charity, Brake. The guide provides useful information that is relevant both to those seriously injured and those who are bereaved.
	Since October 2007 the CPS for cases involving homicide and qualifying cases involving road traffic the CPS has offered bereaved relatives a pre-trial meeting with the CPS prosecutor to answer any questions they may have. They also offer the option of the prosecution advising on and reading out the family impact statement in court, enabling the family to express how the crime has affected them.

Young Offenders: Essex

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people under the age of 16 years in  (a) West Chelmsford constituency and  (b) Essex received a custodial sentence in each of the last 10 years.

David Hanson: The available information is contained in the following table.
	Data held by the Ministry of Justice on court proceedings is available by police force area (PFA) and the table shows the number of persons under the age of 16 years given custodial sentences in Essex PFA including West Chelmsford constituency, in each year from 1997 to 2007. This data is not made available for smaller areas such as constituencies because detailed checks on sentencing records are not carried out at court level.
	Figures for 2008 will be available towards the end of 2009.
	
		
			  Number of persons under 16 years of age receiving custodial sentences( 1)  in Essex police force area ,  1997 to 2007 
			   Immediate custody 
			 1997 98 
			 1998 82 
			 1999 65 
			 2000 86 
			 2001 115 
			 2002 112 
			 2003 105 
			 2004 99 
			 2005 85 
			 2006 106 
			 2007 81 
			 (1) Figures on custodial sentences are in this case equivalent to number of immediate custody given because suspended sentences apply only to persons aged 18 or over.  Notes: 1. The figures are on principal offence basis. 2. These figures have been taken from administrative IT systems which as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.  Source: OMS-AS.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Departmental Training

Grant Shapps: To ask the Leader of the House how much has been spent on media training for each Minister in her Office in each of the last three years; how many sessions have been provided; and which organisations provided such training.

Chris Bryant: In the Office of the Leader of the House of Commons one Minister has attended a media skills training course during the last three years. This was organised by Sara Jones Associates Ltd. at a cost of 2,937.50.

Members: Allowances

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Leader of the House if she will make it her policy to provide that a copy of each  (a) parliamentary report and  (b) other material funded from the Communications Allowance produced by hon. Members be placed in the Library.

Chris Bryant: No. Communications expenditure can be used to fund a wide range of material, including websites, direct mail letters and advertisements of Members' advice surgery dates in local papers, which it would be impractical to deposit in the Library and it is not clear that such a move would serve any useful purpose.

Members: ICT

Andrew Miller: To ask the Leader of the House what plans she has to enable hon. Members better to engage with their constituents through the use of interactive digital technology.

Chris Bryant: I have no such specific plans as it is for hon. Members to decide how best to engage with their constituents and how best to make use of the Communications Allowance.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many staff in his Department  (a) were disciplined and  (b) had their employment terminated as a result of a poor sickness record in each of the last 12 months.

Paul Goggins: Since April 2008, 38 staff have been disciplined as a result of poor sickness records and one member of staff had their employment terminated.

SCOTLAND

China

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland pursuant to the answer of 27 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 734-5W, on China, which colleagues he has met in relation to his visit to China; and on what dates.

Ann McKechin: My right hon. Friend discussed this visit with the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and other ministerial colleagues in the weeks leading up to his visit to China.

China

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland pursuant to the answer of 27 March 2009,  Official Report, column 735W, on China, on what date he received the invitation from the Scottish Council for Development and Industry; what form it took; and on what date he decided to accept the invitation.

Ann McKechin: There was correspondence between officials of my Department and SCDI in January followed by a meeting which took place in February where the matter was discussed after which my right hon. Friend confirmed he would lead the SCDI trade delegation.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland for how long his Department has followed the Carbon Trust's Carbon Management programme.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office, along with some other parts of the Ministry of Justice, have not yet adopted the Carbon Trust Carbon Management programme. The Ministry of Justice has agreed to adopt the programme, or an equivalent, and will be to engaging with the Trust this year with a view to achieving this objective as soon as possible.

Departmental Energy

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps have been taken by his Department to improve the thermal efficiency of its buildings in the last 12 months.

Ann McKechin: A wide range of measures have been undertaken in the last 12 months to improve the thermal efficiency of Scotland Office premises at Dover House, London, and Melville Crescent, Edinburgh. These include:
	An energy audit of Dover House, London
	Installation of additional roof insulation
	Improvements to the draught proofing of windows
	Examination of existing thermostatic controls on radiators and installation of new ones
	Addition of compensatory controls to the Dover House heating system
	Improvement of thermal insulation to pipework
	Installation of solar control blinds
	Replacement of a boiler with an energy efficient model

Departmental Mobile Phones

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much has been spent on  (a) the purchase of and  (b) bills for (i) BlackBerrys and (ii) other mobile telephones for (A) Ministers, (B) special advisers and (C) civil servants in his Department in each year since 2005.

Ann McKechin: Information is not available in the form requested. Details on the cost of BlackBerrys and mobile phones used by staff, Ministers and special advisers are not recorded separately. The total cost of BlackBerrys and mobile phones, including the cost of equipment, call charges and line rental, are set out in the following table.
	
		
			   
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			  BlackBerry s
			 Total cost 0 3,679.12 2,073.78 
			 
			  Mobile phones
			 Total cost 5,004.41 3,460.19 3,983.52

Departmental Mobile Phones

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many  (a) BlackBerrys and  (b) other mobile telephones have been provided to (i) Ministers, (ii) special advisers and (iii) civil servants in his Department in each year since 2005.

Ann McKechin: Details of the number of BlackBerrys and mobile phones provided to Ministers, special advisers and staff in the Scotland Office are provided in the following table.
	
		
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Staff mobile phones 19 18 18 16 
			 Staff BlackBerrys 0 3 4 12 
			 Ministerial mobile phones 3 3 2 2 
			 Ministerial BlackBerrys 0 0 0 1 
			 Special adviser mobile phones 1 1 1 1 
			 Special adviser BlackBerrys 0 2 2 2

Departmental Photographs

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland pursuant to the answer of 30 March 2009,  Official Report, column 831W, how much his Department has spent on official portraits of its Ministers since October 2008.

Ann McKechin: Nothing. The Scotland Office has not commissioned any official portraits of its Ministers since October 2008.

TRANSPORT

Speed Limits: Rural Areas

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what organisations he has consulted on proposals to reduce the 60 miles per hour speed limit on rural roads; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The subject of speeds on rural single carriageways has arisen in developing a new road safety strategy for Great Britain. No decisions have been taken on this. We are consulting on a new strategy, seeking views from the public and a wide range of interest groups.

TREASURY

Banks: Carbon Emissions

Simon Hughes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will direct UK Financial Investments Ltd. to estimate the potential revenue arising from a tax on the carbon dioxide liabilities contained in investments by  (a) Royal Bank of Scotland,  (b) Lloyds TSB/ Halifax Bank of Scotland,  (c) Northern Rock and  (d) Bradford and Bingley.

Ian Pearson: The overarching objective of UK Financial Investments Ltd. (UKFI) is to protect and create value for the taxpayer as shareholder, with due regard to the maintenance of financial stability and promoting competition.
	As with all banks, the Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds Banking Group, Northern Rock and Bradford and Bingley are bound by statutory duties and tax liabilities.
	The estimates requested are not available.

Banks: Finance

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department has taken to ensure compliance with section 28 of Appendix A to the document on the UK Asset Protection Scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: Institutions participating in the Asset Protection Scheme will be required to comply with Asset Management Requirements prescribed by HMT.
	More detail on the requirements will be set out in the Accession Agreements with the participating banks, once final contracts have been signed.

Banks: Finance

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax avoidance investigations have been launched as a result of disclosure under the Asset Protection Scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 16 March 2009,  Official Report, column 654.

Banks: Finance

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the cost of the assignment and transfer of assets into the Asset Protection Scheme by  (a) Lloyds Banking Group and  (b) RBS; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: The scheme works in such a way that the banks will not need to physically transfer their assets into the scheme, but they will ring-fence these assets, which remain under their ownership.

Banks: Finance

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average duration of the assets placed in the Asset Protection Scheme by  (a) Lloyds Banking Group and  (b) RBS is; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: Further detailed information about the assets in the scheme will be provided after the final contracts are signed.

Banks: Finance

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer within what period it was agreed with  (a) Lloyds Banking Group and  (b) RBS that they would provide a quarterly statement of all loses and recoveries in respect of the triggered assets; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: Further information about the disclosure requirements for banks will be set out at the time final contracts are signed.

Banks: Finance

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has provided  (a) Lloyds Banking Group and  (b) RBS with consent to credit hedge in respect of the Residual Amount in the Asset Protection Scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: It is expected that banks will need to apply for consent before hedging in respect of the Residual Amount.

Banks: Finance

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish details of the hedging strategies entered into with  (a) Lloyds Banking Group and  (b) RBS to cover non-sterling denominated assets in the Asset Protection Scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: Further detailed information about the assets in the scheme will be provided at the time that final contracts are signed.

Banks: Pay

Dai Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what criteria have been set by each bank in receipt of public money for qualification for senior staff bonuses; whether the Financial Services Authority plays a role in the ratification of such criteria; and whether his Department has provided any guidance to the remuneration committees of such banks on bonus payments.

Ian Pearson: The Government set strict conditions for executive bonuses at the banks that participated in the recapitalisation scheme in October 2008. The Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Banking Group have also both announced their intention to participate in the asset protection scheme and therefore, in addition to the requirements on remuneration imposed as part of the recapitalisation last October, both banks have committed to implement a policy consistent with the FSA's code of practice on remuneration policies. The FSA is currently consulting on its code and published its consultation paper on 18 March.
	UK Financial Investments Ltd. (UKFI), which is wholly owned by the Government and operates on a commercial and arms length basis, oversees the remuneration conditions attached to subscribing to the Government's recapitalisation fund and the Treasury's asset protection scheme. UKFI has worked to ensure that the banks subscribing to these schemes offer incentivisation based on the Government's principles on remuneration, including no rewards for failure, and to protect the interest of the taxpayer as a shareholder.
	In line with these principles, the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has announced that there will be no bonuses or pay increases made to staff associated with the major losses suffered in 2008 and that board executive directors will receive no bonus for 2008 performance and no pay increase in 2009. No discretionary cash bonuses will be paid in 2009 for performance in 2008, and only legally binding guaranteed bonuses will be paid. Lloyds Banking Group has committed to restructuring remuneration based on these same principles.

Banks: Pay

Michael Meacher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will prohibit the payment of bonuses by banks in receipt of public funds until such monies have been repaid in full.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 27 March 2009
	UK Financial Investments Ltd. (UKFl), which manages the Government's shareholdings in financial institutions on a commercial and arm's-length basis, has been overseeing the remuneration conditions attached to subscribing to the Government's recapitalisation fund and the Treasury's Asset Protection Scheme. UKFl has worked to ensure management incentivisation based on long-term, sustainable performance and no rewards for failure, in order to protect the interest of the taxpayer as a shareholder.
	The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has announced that there will be no bonuses or pay increases made to staff associated with the major losses suffered in 2008 and that board executive directors will receive no bonus for 2008 performance and no pay increase in 2009. No discretionary cash bonuses will be paid in 2009 for performance in 2008, and only legally binding guaranteed bonuses will be paid.
	Lloyds Banking Group has committed to restructuring remuneration based on these same principles.

Banks: Tax Avoidance

Michael Meacher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy that any bank proposed for receipt of public funds  (a) should be required to stop using tax havens for tax avoidance purposes and  (b) should provide a legal statement guaranteeing that it has ceased such practices and has disbanded its departments responsible for establishing such schemes before it receives funds from the public purse.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 27 March 2009
	I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 16 March 2009,  Official Report, column 654.

Mortgages

Graham Brady: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the levels of activity of specialist lenders in the UK mortgage market on  (a) the availability of buy-to-let mortgage finance,  (b) competition in the provision of buy-to-let mortgages and  (c) the ability of the private rented sector to meet housing need;
	(2)  pursuant to the oral Statement of 19 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 482-86, on financial markets, what plans he has to facilitate an increase in the supply of mortgage finance for investment in the private rented sector through the lending support schemes being developed by his Department.

Ian Pearson: On 19 January, the Government announced measures designed to reinforce the stability of the financial system, to increase confidence and capacity to lend, and in turn to support the recovery of the economy. These build on measures announced on 8 October last year.
	These measures have helped to stabilise the credit market. This is an essential condition for banks to develop greater confidence to lend in the future to creditworthy businesses, home-owners and consumers.
	The Government value and support the role of private rented sector in providing flexible accommodation for many households. In 2008 the Government commissioned an independent review of the private rented sector by Julie Rugg and David Rhodes. The Government expect to publish their initial response to their report later in the spring.
	The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) publishes data on lending, including buy-to-let lending, available at:
	http://www.cml.org.uk/cml/statistics

Northern Rock: Nationalisation

Peter Viggers: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what definition of success fee was used by his Department in its discussions with Goldman Sachs on the taking into temporary public ownership of Northern Rock.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 30 March 2009
	The Treasury and Goldman Sachs agreed it would have been inappropriate for a success fee to form part of the final sum paid for the advice given by Goldman Sachs in relation to this matter. No such fee was paid.

Northern Rock: Nationalisation

Peter Viggers: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what due diligence work was carried out in relation to  (a) Northern Rock and  (b) Northern Rock's loan book prior to taking the bank into temporary public ownership.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 30 March 2009
	The decision to take Northern Rock into temporary public ownership was based on a full assessment of the value for money case.

Royal Bank of Scotland: Pensions

Adam Price: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will direct UK Financial Investments Ltd. to establish whether the Royal Bank of Scotland pension scheme contains a forfeiture clause under the terms of the Pensions Act 1995.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 20 March 2009
	UK Financial Investments Ltd. (UKFI) manages the Government's shareholdings in financial institutions on a commercial and arm's-length basis.
	UKFI has agreed with the banks in which Government have investments that they will assure themselves that all payouts to former directors were no more than legally necessary.
	With the agreement of UK Financial Investments Ltd. (UKFI), Sir Philip Hampton, the new chairman of RBS, has appointed a senior independent QC to carry out a full legal investigation of the issues relating to Sir Fred Goodwin's pension. This investigation is ongoing.

WALES

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of the  (a) energy consumed by,  (b) energy cost of and  (c) carbon dioxide emissions from each category of IT device in each division of his Department in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Murphy: Wales Office IT services are provided by the Ministry of Justice.
	We continually address our need to reduce our carbon footprint as a whole. We are developing our sustainability development action plan which will examine how our IT might consume less energy overall.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps his Department has taken to address the effect on levels of carbon dioxide emissions from his Department of its ICT purchases since the publication of the Greening Government ICT Strategy; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Murphy: The Wales Office is developing a sustainability development action plan that will incorporate ways of reducing our carbon footprint.
	We have adopted a switch off policy that all staff should shut down IT appliances at the end of the working day. We are also looking at options including replacing single-sided with two-sided printers.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many  (a) printers and  (b) multi-function devices with printing functions were in use in each division of his Department in each of the last five years; how many such devices had a function enabling two-sided printing; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Murphy: The Wales Office has:
	 (a) 27 printers covering our London and Cardiff offices;
	 (b) No multi-function devices.
	We have one double-sided printer. We will examining the possibility of supplementing it as part of our sustainability development programme and in accordance with the Greening Government ICT programme.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many and what proportion of IT products in each category procured for each division of his Department were compliant with the Government's Buy Sustainable-Quick Wins standard in the latest year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Murphy: The Wales Office has all its IT products supplied through the Ministry of Justice IT central contract.

Departmental Mobile Phones

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much has been spent on  (a) the purchase of and  (b) bills for (i) BlackBerrys and (ii) other mobile telephones for (A) Ministers, (B) special advisers and (C) civil servants in his Department in each year since 2005.

Paul Murphy: The Wales Office is provided with its IT and telephone equipment through the Ministry of Justice and does not directly purchase BlackBerrys or mobile telephones.
	Billing information is not held in the format requested and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Mobile Phones

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many  (a) BlackBerrys and  (b) other mobile telephones have been provided to (i) Ministers, (ii) special advisers and (iii) civil servants in his Department in each year since 2005.

Paul Murphy: The figures for the current year are given in the following table. Figures for previous years are not held in the format requested and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			   Provided in 2009 
			  (a) BlackBerrys  
			 Ministers 0 
			 Special advisers 2 
			 Civil servants 12 
			   
			  (b) Mobile telephones  
			 Ministers 0 
			 Special advisers 0 
			 Civil servants 21

Departmental Rail Travel

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what guidance his Department issues on whether members of staff may claim for travel in first-class carriages on trains if there are no seats in standard class.

Paul Murphy: My Department has no written guidance on this specific point. Train tickets are normally booked in advance and with seat reservations, taking advantage of discounts.

Departmental Training

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much has been spent on media training for each Minister in his Department in each of the last three years; how many sessions have been provided; and who provided such training.

Paul Murphy: Nil.

Departmental Training

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what his Department's policy is on the practice of holding departmental away days outside the Department's buildings.

Paul Murphy: My Department has not laid down a policy on this. Occasional staff events off site are approved by the Head of Office, when there is a clear benefit to the business to be gained. Government or hotel accommodation is used, chosen to be fit for purpose and economical. Away days are not used as a form of reward.

StartHere

Alun Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the potential of StartHere to deliver the Government's digital inclusion strategy.

Paul Murphy: NHS Choices and Directgov have been working with StartHere over the past six months to evaluate its potential to support the delivery of the Government's digital inclusion strategy. The findings from the evaluation are currently under consideration by NHS Choices and Directgov and are due to be published by the end of April 2009. This evaluation will support any formal recommendations for the use of StartHere by Government.

WOMEN AND EQUALITY

Equality and Human Rights Commission: Annual Reports

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality when she expects the commission for equality and human rights' Annual Report for 2007-08 to be published; and if she will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The Equality and Human Rights Commission's April 2006-March 2008 annual report and accounts will be published after they are formally laid in Parliament. They are currently with the National Audit Office for sign off.

Equality and Human Rights Commission: Finance

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality whether the accounts of the Equality and Human Rights Commission for 2007-08 have been approved by  (a) the Board of the Commission and  (b) its Audit and Risk Committee.

Maria Eagle: The Equality and Human Rights Commission's April 2006-March 2008 annual report and accounts are currently being audited by the National Audit Office (NAO). Following NAO sign off, they will be considered by the EHRC Audit and Risk Committee and then recommended to the EHRC board for approval.

Equality and Human Rights Commission: Pay

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what salary bands there are for staff of the commission for equality and human rights; how many staff there are in each band; and if she will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The Equality and Human Rights Commission's salary bands and the number of staff employed within each as at 31 March 2009 are as follows:
	
		
			  Grade  Salary band  Number 
			 Level 1 15,000 to 18,233 40 
			 Level 2 20,056.30 to 24,378 72 
			 Level 3 26,815.80 to 32,595 145 
			 Level 4 34,224.75 to 41,600 90 
			 Level 5 43,680 to 53,093 69 
			 Director 55,747.65 to 90,000 18 
			 Group Director 92,000 to 130,000 3 
			 Total  437

WORK AND PENSIONS

Christmas Bonus

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of recipients of the Christmas bonus will receive their payment  (a) together with their basic state pension and  (b) as a separate payment, broken down by date of receipt of bonus; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The standard 10 Christmas bonus was paid as normal before Christmas to all those who qualified. Payments of the additional Christmas bonus were paid as outlined in the following table:
	
		
			   Paid with benefit  Per- centage  Paid separately  Per- centage  Paid from  week commencing 
			 State Pension 4,700,769 43 6,219,568 57 5 January 2009 
			 Pension Credit   1,418,260 100 23 February 2009 
			 Incapacity Benefit 369,184 28 941,063 72 5 January 2009 
			 Industrial Injuries 0  1,320 100 2 March 2009 
			 Disability living allowance and attendance allowance 0  1,185,093 100 2 March 2009 
			 Carer's allowance 0  498,452 100 2 March 2009 
			 Employment support allowance 0  70 100 2 March 2009 
			 Veterans allowance 0  8,972 100 2 March 2009 
			 Totals 5,069,953 33 10,272,798 67  
			  Notes: 1. State Pension figures include customers in receipt of Widows and Bereavement Benefit. 2. The Pension Credit figures include customers receiving their State Pension and Pension Credit payments combined. Christmas Bonus payments in these cases are paid with Pension Credit.  Source:  Special Payment Programme weekly review document 4 March 2009.

Council Tax Benefit

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of raising the income level at which a household no longer receives full council tax benefit  (a) to 174 for a single person between the ages of 60 and 74 and  (b) to 177 for a single person aged over 75 years.

Kitty Ussher: holding answer 25 March 2009
	The following table shows estimates of the cost and number of council tax benefit (CTB) beneficiaries; and the saving and number of losers, if the following changes are made to the income level at which a household no longer receives CTB:
	Option 1: Income level for single people between 60 and 74 set to 174
	Option 2: Income level for single people over 75 set to 177.
	
		
			  Change applicable amounts in CTB for some groups 
			  Change in applicable amount  Number of beneficiaries  Cost in annually managed expenditure ( million per year)  Number of losers  Saving in annually managed expenditure ( million per year)  Impact on annually managed expenditure ( million per year) 
			 Option 1 190,000 40 10,000 0 40 
			 Option 2 180,000 40 30,000 -10 30 
			  Notes: 1. All figures are for Great Britain. 2. Beneficiaries and losers are rounded to the nearest 10,000. Costs and savings are rounded to the nearest 10 million. These estimates include both customers who gain/lose and those who become or lose entitlement to the benefit. 3. Each beneficiary represents a benefit unit, which can be a single claimant or a couple. 4. The impact is estimated using the Department's Policy Simulation Model for 2008-09, using data from the 2006-07 Family Resources Survey uprated to 2008-09 prices, benefit rates and earnings levels, and is calibrated to latest published forecasts and policies. 5. Results are subject to sampling and reporting errors and estimation assumptions, and are therefore indicative only. No behavioural changes are assumed.

Crisis Loans

Brian H Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of payments from the Social Fund were for crisis loans in the latest period for which information was available; and what other types of payments were made during that period.

Kitty Ussher: The available information is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Crisis loan gross expenditure as a percentage of total social fund gross expenditure in Great Britain for 2007-08 
			   Percentage 
			 Including Winter Fuel Payments 4.0 
			 Excluding Winter Fuel Payments 12.8 
			  Note: Apart from crisis loans, the other types of social fund payments made during 2007-08 were: winter fuel payments, Sure Start maternity grants, cold weather payments, funeral payments, community care grants and budgeting loans.  Source: Annual report by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the social fund 2007-08 and, for winter fuel payments, the unrounded version corresponding to the table 3 entry at: www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/medium_term.asp

Crisis Loans: Telephone Services

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what the average waiting time for calls made to the Crisis Loans Direct helpline to be answered was in each of the last 12 months;
	(2)  how many telephone calls were  (a) made to and  (b) answered by the Crisis Loans Direct helpline in each of the last 12 months.

Kitty Ussher: holding answer 26 March 2009
	The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has asked me to respond to your questions on what the average waiting time for calls to the Crisis Loans Direct helpline to be answered was in each of the last 12 months and how many telephone calls were (a) made to and (b) answered by the Crisis Loans Direct helpline in each of the last 12 months. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Jobcentre Plus does not have a Crisis Loan Direct helpline. Crisis Loans operate from 20 of our Benefit Delivery Centres (BDC's) across the country, each with a dedicated telephone number. Currently these BDC's do not operate on the same telephony platform. The information requested is therefore not available in the format requested, as the data cannot be compared. The roll-out of the Internet Protocol Contact Centre telephony platform into BDC's will provide us with comparable data by the summer.
	In the last two years Crisis Loan applications have more than doubled and since July 2008 averaged around 230,000 applications per month. Since January 2009 we have seen further increases in applications to 275,000 for January and 272,000 for February 2009. This increase in demand means customers in some areas may not get through first time. There is, however, no evidence to suggest that people fail to get through ultimately.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his latest estimate is of his Department's capital expenditure in  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10,  (c) 2010-11 and  (d) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Department's Capital Budgets were published by HM Treasury as part of the pre-Budget report in November 2008. Please refer to page 214 of this report for the Department's Capital DELDepartmental Expenditure Limitestimated expenditure in  (a) 2008-09 and planned Capital DEL expenditure in  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11.
	The Government have not set Departments' Capital DEL budgets for years beyond 2010-11. Capital DEL budgets for 2011-12 and beyond are a matter for the next spending review. The Government do, however, publish projections for PSNI (Public Sector Net Investment) over the forecast period at Budgets and pre-Budget reports.

Departmental Rail Travel

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance his Department issues on whether members of staff may claim for travel in first class carriages on trains if there are no seats in standard class.

Jonathan R Shaw: I am sending the hon. Member a copy of the section of the Department's Business Travel Policy which covers travel by rail; and placing a copy in the Library.

Disability Living Allowance

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for 
	(1)  what reasons attendance allowance has no component equivalent to the lower rate care component of disability living allowance;
	(2)  what recent representations he has received on the compatibility of the age limit on the disability living allowance with equalities legislation; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what recent representations he has received in support of allowing those aged 65 and over and in receipt of disability living allowance to claim a mobility component.

Jonathan R Shaw: Disability living allowance is designed to provide extra help for those disabled relatively early in life who have had limited opportunities to earn and save. Once awarded, disability living allowance may continue in payment after the age of 65 if the entitlement conditions continue to be satisfied.
	People who experience the onset of disability after the age of 65 receive help with their disability-related costs through attendance allowance which is based on the need for personal care. It is normal and consistent with domestic equality legislation for pensions and benefits schemes to contain different provisions for people at different stages of their lives. Attendance allowance must be seen in the context of the interlocking nature of the social security scheme and the fact that the cut-off age will tend to coincide with a time when a person becomes entitled to a range of other benefits and services.
	We have received a number of representations about the age limit in disability living allowance and will continue to keep it, as with other benefits, under review.

Disability Living Allowance

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what information his Department collects on the number of claimants of disability living allowance who use the mobility component to enable them to get to work.

Jonathan R Shaw: We do not collect information about the number of claimants of disability living allowance who use the mobility component to enable them to get to work. Recipients can spend their benefit in the way that best fits their circumstances.

Empty Property

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the estimated cost in empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by  (a) the Rent Service and  (b) the Health and Safety Executive is in 2008-09.

Jonathan R Shaw: With regard to the Rent Service the amount paid in business rates for vacant properties recorded on e-PIMS during 2008-9 is 21,304.64.
	The estimated cost in business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database held on leasehold by the Health and Safety Executive in 2008-09 is 337,803.

Health and Safety Executive: Manpower

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff the Health and Safety Executive has relocated in response to the recommendations made by Sir Michael Lyons in his report on local government; and how many of those staff were  (a) relocated prior to 31 March 2008 and  (b) working in the Offshore Safety Division on the latest date for which figures are available.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 2 April 2009
	As at 31 March 2009, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has relocated a total of 157 posts out of London in response to the recommendations made by Sir Michael Lyons. Within this number, six staff have moved permanently with their posts and a further two are due to follow in the near future.
	Of the 157 posts, 31 were relocated prior to 31 March 2008 and 10 were in the Offshore Safety Division (OSD).

Health and Safety Executive: Manpower

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff are employed by the Health and Safety Executive at its  (a) London and  (b) Bootle offices; and how many staff were employed at those offices immediately prior to the publication of Sir Michael Lyons' report on local government in March 2007.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 2 April 2009
	As at 23 March 2009 the Health and Safety Executive employed 329 staff at its London office and 1,288 at the Bootle office.
	The comparable figures for 31 March 2007 are 1,227 staff at the Bootle office and 528 staff at the London office.

Housing Benefit

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what expenditure his Department has incurred in the provision of housing benefit in each year since 1997 at 2008-09 prices.

Kitty Ussher: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave him on 24 March 2009,  Official Report, column 254W.

Housing Benefit: Elderly

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what his estimate is of the number of individuals over the age of  (a) 65 and  (b) 68 years who will receive housing benefit in (i) 2020, (ii) 2030 and (iii) 2050;
	(2)  who will receive council tax benefit in (i) 2020, (ii) 2030 and (iii) 2050.

Kitty Ussher: The information requested is not available. Such information as is available is in the following table.
	
		
			  Pensioner households in receipt of housing benefit and council tax benefit: thousands 
			   Households in receipt of housing benefit  Households in receipt of council tax benefit 
			 2020 1,200 2,200 
			 2030 1,200 2,100 
			 2050 1,000 1,600 
			  Notes: 1. These projections are of the number of benefit units in receipt of housing benefit or council tax benefit in the UK, with at least one person over State Pension Age. In 2020 State Pension Age will be 65, in 2030 it will be 66 and in 2050 it will be 68. 2. Numbers of households are rounded to the nearest 100,000.  Source:  Pre-Budget report 2008 projections.

Industrial Health and Safety: Schools

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many serious injuries to school teachers caused by physical violence in schools in  (a) each local education authority area and  (b) England were reported to the Health and Safety Executive in each year from 2000; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: Reported injuries to school teachers caused by physical violence since 2000 show that on average 189 incidents are reported to HSE by schools in England each year. There is no clear overall trend in the number of reported injuries across the period. A full breakdown of incidents reported in each local authority area and across England has been placed in the Library.

Jobcentre Plus

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Jobpoints have been set up outside Jobcentre Plus since their inception; and in what locations they have been set up.

Tony McNulty: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked the acting chief executive to provide the right hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking how many and in what locations Jobpoints have been set up outside Jobcentre Plus since their inception. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Locating Jobpoints with external partners is part of our vision to meet the challenge of helping more customers find jobs and remain in work using modern technology. In particular, we are keen to use this approach to focus more on customers with the greatest disadvantages and those who are not in touch with the labour market.
	There are currently 108 Jobpoints located away from Jobcentre Plus offices. The locations of these Jobpoints are in the attached annex.
	
		
			  Annex: Locations of Jobcentre Plus Jobpoints 
			  Libraries 
			  Name  Location  Number of jobpoints 
			 Ambleside North West 1 
			 Attleborough East of England 1 
			 Bakewell East Midlands 1 
			 Bewdley West Midlands 1 
			 Bramsholme Yorks and Humber 2 
			 Broadway West Midlands 1 
			 Brynmawr Wales 1 
			 Croxteth North West 1 
			 Dawlish South West 1 
			 Denbigh Wales 1 
			 Easterside North East 1 
			 Eckington East Midlands 1 
			 Gorleston East of England 1 
			 Grove Hill North East 1 
			 Hemlington North East 1 
			 Kelso Scotland 1 
			 Knighton Wales 1 
			 Loanhead Scotland 1 
			 Ludlow West Midlands 1 
			 MileCross East of England 1 
			 Newbridge Wales 1 
			 North Ormesby North East 1 
			 Peebles Scotland 1 
			 Prestatyn Wales 1 
			 Rhymney Wales 1 
			 Risca Wales 1 
			 Shotts Scotland 1 
			 Stourport West Midlands 1 
			 Swaffham East of England 1 
			 Watton East of England 1 
			 Wells Next sea East of England 1 
			 Ystrad Wales 1 
		
	
	
		
			  Adult Education Centres 
			  Name  Jobcentre Plus  Number of jobpoints 
			 University College, Worcester West Midlands 1 
			 Learning 744, Boscombe Bournemouth South West 1 
			 Thorntree Development and Training Centre, Thorntree North East 1 
			 New Mills Adult Education Centre East Midlands 1 
		
	
	
		
			  Children's Centres 
			  Name  Jobcentre Plus Region  Number of jobpoints 
			 Broadwater Farm Primary School, Haringay London 1 
			 Integrated Children's Centre, Cardiff Wales 1 
			 Robert Owen Early Year Centre, Greenwich London 1 
			 The Children's Centre, Bradford Yorkshire and Humberside 1 
			 Tipton Children's Centre, Tipton West Midlands 1 
			 Warren Hills Children's Centre, Leicester East Midlands 1 
			 Gilmerton Children Centre, Edinburgh Scotland 1 
		
	
	
		
			  Community Centres 
			  Name  Jobcentre Plus Region  Number of jobpoints 
			 Beaumaris Community Centre Wales 1 
			 Killamarsh Community Centre East Midlands 1 
		
	
	
		
			  Prisons 
			  Name  Jobcentre Plus Region  Number of jobpoints 
			 Acklington North East 2 
			 Brixton London 2 
			 Featherstone Yorkshire and Humberside 1 
			 Leeds Yorkshire and Humberside 2 
			 Lewes South East 2 
			 Ranby East Midlands 2 
			 Swansea Wales 2 
			 Woodhill East of England 2 
			 Hollesley Bay East of England 1 
			 Northallerton North East 2 
			 Glen Parva East of England 2 
			 Rochester South East 2 
		
	
	
		
			  Leisure Centres 
			  Name  Jobcentre Plus Region  Number of jobpoints 
			 Rainbow Leisure Centre, Middlesbrough North East 1 
			 Tonyrefail Leisure Centre, Rhondda Wales 2 
			 Neptune Centre, Middlesbrough North East 1 
		
	
	
		
			  Local  a uthorities 
			  Name  Jobcentre Plus Region  Number of jobpoints 
			 Birkenhead North West 1 
			 Rock Ferry North West 1 
			 Llandeilo Wales 1 
			 Wychavon West Midlands 1 
			 Caerphilly Wales l 
			 Centenary Court Bradford 1 
		
	
	
		
			  One Stop Shops 
			  Name  Jobcentre Plus Region  Number of jobpoints 
			 Boness Scotland 1 
			 Bromyard West Midlands 1 
			 Denny Scotland 1 
			 Droitwich West Midlands 1 
			 Halewood North West 2 
			 Kilsyth Scotland 1 
			 Motherwell Scotland 1 
		
	
	
		
			  Supermarkets 
			  Name  Location  Number of jobpoints 
			 ASDA Swindon 1 
			 Co-op Teignmouth 1 
		
	
	
		
			  Others 
			  Name  Location  Number of jobpoints 
			 Arts Factory London 2 
			 Bloxwich West Midlands 1 
			 Bulith Wells Enterprise Centre South West 1 
			 Careers West Wales Wales 1 
			 Cyfle Ffestiniog Cyf Wales 1 
			 Hemlington Comm. Partnership North East 1 
			 Ledbury Info Hereford Hlp Pnt West Midlands 1 
			 Llantwit Major Outreach Office Wales 1 
			 LymeNet Community Learning Centre South West 1 
			 North Lanarkshire Volunteer Development Agency Scotland 1 
			 Norton Radstock Infoplus South West 1 
			 Stansted Airport East of England 1 
			 St. Helen's Starting Point North West 1 
			 Trafford Centre North West 2 
			 Treharris Communities First Wales 1 
			 Working for Families Fund Scotland 1 
			 Wythenshawe Forum Futures North West 2

Jobcentre Plus

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of  (a) the number of people who have used the Jobcentre Plus rapid response service in the last 12-months and  (b) the number and proportion of those people who found employment through the service.

Tony McNulty: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves dated 21 April 2009:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking what estimate he has made of (a) the number of people who have used the Jobcentre Plus rapid response service in the last 12 months and (b) the number and proportion of those people who found employment through the service. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	The rapid response service (RRS) was expanded in November 2008. The service is now available whenever an employer is faced with a possible need to make people redundant. We contact each employer who notifies the Insolvency Service of a proposal to make 20 or more people redundant at one establishment. We also offer RRS support to other employers who we know are going to make people redundant whenever we judge that the potential impact on the local labour market of the cumulative effect of recent redundancies justifies using RRS.
	Since the service was expanded, over 1,000 employers have accepted offers of RRS support for employees facing redundancy, or the possibility of redundancy. Our administrative records suggest that, all told, more than 150,000 employees were facing possible redundancy in those situations.
	We do not record the numbers of people finding jobs during the delivery of RRS support. The RRS is just one part of the overall service we provide to people who lose their jobs and need help to move back into work as quickly as possible.

Jobcentre Plus

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) benefit delivery centres,  (b) customer-facing jobcentres and  (c) contact centres Jobcentre Plus operated in each (i) region and (ii) Jobcentre Plus District in each year since 2002.

Tony McNulty: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked the acting chief executive to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking how many (a) benefit delivery centres, (b) customer-facing jobcentres and (c) contact centres Jobcentre Plus operated in each (i) region and (ii) Jobcentre Plus District in each year since 2002. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Jobcentre Plus inherited around 1,500 offices from the merger of the Benefits Agency and the Employment Service in 2002. We have modernised our Jobcentre network to improve customer service, rationalising our estate to provide excellent coverage with integrated customer facing offices, at the same time reducing cost to the tax payer. We remain the largest office network in Government with 741 modern Jobcentres. These offices are supported by modern Contact Centres and main Benefit Delivery Centres.
	The great majority of our services (in common with most large, modern organisations) are now delivered through the telephone and internet. For example, to give customers more convenient access, we have around half a million vacancies on-line at any time (our website receives close to one million job searches every working day), and new claims to benefit are predominantly taken by telephone with some taken on-line. This has brought our customer facing services together in a more coherent and integrated network and I believe Jobcentre Plus is well-placed to respond to the full range of economic conditions.
	Our Contact Centre network was set up in 2006 and there are currently 31 Contact Centres. Our Benefit Delivery Centre network was established in late 2007 with 79 centres and all remain in place. The information you have requested is only available at regional/country level and can be found in the following tables.
	
		
			  Current Jobcentre Plus Customer-Facing Offices as at 30 March 2009 (By Region) 
			  Regions/Country  Benefit Delivery Centres  Customer Facing Jobcentres  Contact Centres 
			 East of England 6 57 2 
			 East Midlands 7 53 3 
			 London 7 74 0 
			 North East 3 45 2 
			 North West 12 97 6 
			 Scotland 9 99 3 
			 South East 8 74 0 
			 South West 6 57 4 
			 Wales 5 63 4 
			 West Midlands 8 63 3 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 8 59 4 
			 Totals 79 741 31 
			  Source: Jobcentre Plus 
		
	
	
		
			  Jobcentre Plus offices open to the Public (now all modernised): 2002 to 30 March 2009 
			January each year 
			  Region/Country  30 March 2009  2009  2008  2007  2006  2005  2004  2003  2002 
			 East of England 57 57 66 67 72 84 85 90 90 
			 East Midlands 53 53 54 56 69 71 75 83 83 
			 London 74 77 80 90 114 121 132 138 139 
			 North East 45 45 47 49 53 60 64 65 65 
			 North West 97 97 104 112 129 139 153 160 160 
			 Scotland 99 99 100 103 125 139 150 153 153 
			 South East 74 74 77 82 97 107 121 123 123 
			 South West 57 57 79 83 91 102 114 118 118 
			 Wales 63 63 63 64 87 95 108 111 111 
			 West Midlands 63 63 67 79 98 105 108 115 116 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 59 59 60 61 68 79 87 88 88 
			 Totals of all regions 741 744 797 846 1,003 1,102 1,197 1,244 1,246 
			  Note: The Jobcentre Plus customer facing service delivery network comprises of Jobcentres, Benefit Delivery Centres, and Contact Centres. Head office, regional offices and district offices are not included. Contact Centres operate nationally and their location bears no relation to the customers they serve.  Source: Jobcentre Plus

Jobcentre Plus: Manpower

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) permanent,  (b) temporary and  (c) agency staff were employed in (i) benefit delivery centres, (ii) customer-facing jobcentres and (iii) contact centres operated by Jobcentre Plus in each (A) region and (B) Jobcentre Plus district (1) in each year since 2002 and (2) in each of the last 24 months.

Tony McNulty: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking how many (a) permanent staff (b) temporary and (c) agency staff were employed in (i) benefit delivery centres, (ii) customer facing jobcentres and (iii) contact centres operated by Jobcentre Plus in each (A) region and (B) Jobcentre Plus district (1) in each year since 2002 and (2) in each of the last 24 months. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	The great majority of our services (in common with most large, modern organisations) are now delivered through the telephone and internet. For example, to give customers more convenient access, we have around half a million vacancies on-line at any time (our website receives close to one million job searches every working day), and new claims to benefit are predominantly taken by telephone with some taken on-line. This has brought our customer facing services together in a more coherent and integrated network and I believe Jobcentre Plus is well-placed to respond to the full range of economic conditions.
	I have placed the available information in the Library. Unfortunately we are unable to provide information prior to April 2003, and for the period from April 2003 to November 2007 are unable to break this down by region or district. We are also unable to provide information on numbers of agency staff. The tables provide for each month from December 2007 the number of full time equivalents (FTEs) employed in each region and district in benefit delivery centres, customer facing jobcentres and contact centres within Jobcentre Plus.

Jobcentre Plus: Manpower

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Jobcentre Plus staff there are in each function.

Tony McNulty: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the right hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking how many Jobcentre Plus staff there are in each function. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	The table in the attached Annex shows the number of people recorded as deployed to standard functional areas in Jobcentre Plus during February 2009. In addition to staff deployed on these activities there are also around 2,500 people in Directorates that support Jobcentre Plus operations. People in these roles undertake a wide variety of activities that are not recorded separately and are not included in the table.
	
		
			  Jobcen tre Plus staff by activityFull- time equivalents 
			  Jobcentre Plus Activities  February 2009 
			 Income Support new claim processing 712 
			 Income Support claims maintenance 2,117 
			 Jobseekers Allowance new claims processing 2,446 
			 Jobseekers Allowance claims maintenance 1,604 
			 Incapacity Benefit new claims processing 301 
			 Incapacity Benefit claims maintenance 1,889 
			 Employment and Support Allowance new claims processing 1,126 
			 Employment and Support Allowance claims maintenance 612 
			 Social Fund activities 2,818 
			 Other benefit processing and maintenance activities 7,815 
			 Benefit telephony team 3,708 
			 Debt referrals activities 395 
			 Benefit management 541 
			 Fraud Investigation Service 2,781 
			 Customer Compliance Service 833 
			 Personal Adviser Activities (includes Management and Support) 13,968 
			 Employer vacancy handling 1,393 
			 Job enquiry activity 64 
			 3rd party provision management 240 
			 E-Social Fund 112 
			 Job Search Review activities 5,232 
			 Allowance payment processors 231 
			 Disability services 85 
			 Employment Zones initiatives 31 
			 New Deal for Disabled People 4 
			 Customer Service Manager 1,490 
			 Jobcentre Manager 571 
			 National Sales Team 59 
			 Access to Work (includes Management and Support) 242 
			 Contact Centre agents 5,999 
			 Business support activities 6,346 
			  Source:  Activity Based Management Information Portal

Jobcentre Plus: Police

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many times the police have been called to jobcentres in each year since 1997; and what the reasons were, broken down by category.

Tony McNulty: Jobcentre Plus does not routinely capture information on how often and for what reasons the police are called to jobcentres. Where any situation arises that puts, or could put, staff or members of the public in danger, Jobcentre Plus will, as a matter of course, involve the local police force.

Jobcentre Plus: Standards

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average processing time was for claims for  (a) income support,  (b) jobseekers' allowance and  (c) incapacity benefit in each (i) region and (ii) Jobcentre Plus district in each (A) year since the launch of the actual clearance times target and (B) of the last 24 months.

Tony McNulty: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking what the average processing time was for claims for (a) income support, (b) jobseeker's allowance and (c) incapacity benefit in each (i) region and (ii) Jobcentre Plus district in (A) each year since the launch of the actual clearance times target and (B) each of the last 24 months. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	I have placed the available information in the Library. Data for 2004/05 and 2005/06 is down to district level. From 2006/07 the data is not available below Benefit Delivery Centre (BDC) level.
	Jobcentre Plus has had a target for the Average Actual Clearance Time (AACT) for Income Support (IS), Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) and Incapacity Benefit (IB) since 2004/05.
	For each benefit the target for the AACT in days was as follows:
	
		
			   Income support  Jobseeker ' s allowance  Incapacity benefit 
			 2004-05 12 12 22 
			 2005-06 12 12 19 
			 2006-07 11 12 18 
			 2007-08 11 12 18 
			 2008-09 10 11.5 15 
		
	
	The method used to calculate the AACT differs slightly between the three benefits. For IS the AACT is calculated from the date the customer provides all the evidence required to process the claim to the date a decision is made. For JSA the AACT is calculated from the customer's initial date of contact with Jobcentre Plus to the date a decision is made. For IB the AACT is calculated from the date a properly completed claim form is received by Jobcentre Plus to the date a decision is made.

Jobcentre Plus: Standards

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how his Department measures the performance against objectives of the Jobcentre Plus rapid response service;
	(2)  what information his Department collects on the job outcomes achieved by the Jobcentre Plus rapid response service.

Tony McNulty: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the right hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves dated 21 April 2009:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions asking how his Department measures the performance against objectives of the Jobcentre Plus rapid response service; and what information his Department collects on the job outcomes of the Jobcentre Plus rapid response service. These fall within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Our objective is to ensure that the support of the rapid response service (RRS) is offered whenever it might be appropriate for the employer and employees concerned. The purpose of the RRS is to provide early and immediate help to employees facing redundancy through advice and support on such issues as benefits, the local labour market and effective job search.
	In that context, we contact each employer who notifies the Insolvency Service of a proposal to make 20 or more people redundant, and also offer support to other employers we believe to be making redundancies whenever we judge that the cumulative impact of redundancies on the local labour market justifies using RRS. In some cases employers contact us, and we will always support employees facing redundancy through RRS when asked to do so.
	Since we extended the RRS in November 2008, we have kept an administrative record of the number of employers who take up our offer of support.
	We do not attempt systematically to record other information, such as the numbers of employees who are given advice and support through RRS, or the job outcomes achieved for the former employees of particular employers, as to do so would be prohibitively expensive. Accordingly, information on the numbers of job outcomes achieved for people who access support through the RRS is not available.

Jobcentre Plus: Vacancies

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many vacancies are being advertised by Jobcentre Plus, broken down by the level of qualifications required for applicants for the vacancy.

Tony McNulty: The information is not available.

Jobseeker's Allowance

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the oral answer of 2 February 2009,  Official Report, column 573, on jobseeker's allowance, what proportion of the increase since 1997 in  (a) total employment and  (b) employment of people of working age is accounted for by non-UK citizens.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 9 February 2009
	For the purposes of counting the number of people in employment, it is the convention to use all those in the population of 16 and over, to recognise the contribution made by older workers. At the time of oral questions, the latest data on that basis showed that between Q3 1997 and Q3 2008 over half of the increase was indeed accounted for by UK citizens.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of increasing jobseeker's allowance by  (a) 100 per cent. for claimants with an unbroken work record of more than five years and  (b) 200 per cent. for claimants with an unbroken work record of more than 10 years immediately prior to their claim in each of the next five years;
	(2)  how many people claiming contribution-based jobseeker's allowance had an unbroken work record of more than  (a) five,  (b) 10 and  (c) 15 years immediately prior to claiming in each quarter of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: DWP do not hold this information centrally and it could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what expenditure his Department incurred on support for mortgage interest benefit in each of the last five years.

Kitty Ussher: holding answer 24 March 2009
	The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Total expenditure on support for mortgage interest 2006-0 8 
			
			 2004-05 n/a 
			 2005-06 n/a 
			 2006-07 351,377,127 
			 2007-08 394,787,646 
			 2008-09 372,772,841 
			 n/a = Not available  Note: Information for the last three financial years is held on the Department's financial systems. Information for earlier years could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.  Source: Bank statements from the Office of Paymaster General that show the amount paid out to third party lenders.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people received support for mortgage interest benefit in each of the last 20 quarters.

Kitty Ussher: The available information is in the tables.
	
		
			  I ncome support claimants receiving support for mortgage interest 
			   Number 
			 November 2003 118,700 
			 February 2004 116,200 
			 May 2004 113,500 
			 August 2004 110,800 
			 November 2004 107,800 
			 February 2005 105,600 
			 May 2005 104,900 
			 August 2005 102,700 
			 November 2005 100,800 
			 February 2006 99,000 
			 May 2006 96,900 
			 August 2006 95,600 
			 November 2006 94,100 
			 February 2007 92,000 
			 May 2007 91,200 
			 August 2007 88,200 
			 February 2008 83,400 
			 May 2008 81,700 
			 August 2008 81,200 
		
	
	
		
			  Jobseeker's allowance claimants receiving support for mortgage interest 
			   Number 
			 November 2003 14,300 
			 February 2004 14,000 
			 May 2004 13,100 
			 August 2004 11,400 
			 November 2004 11,100 
			 February 2005 11,200 
			 May 2005 10,900 
			 August 2005 8,700 
			 November 2005 9,200 
			 February 2006 10,400 
			 May 2006 9,900 
			 August 2006 9,900 
			 November 2006 9,800 
			 February 2007 9,600 
			 May 2007 8,900 
			 August 2007 8,700 
			 February 2008 8,400 
			 May 2008 8,200 
			 August 2008 7,200 
		
	
	
		
			  Pension credit claimants receiving support for mortgage interest 
			   Number 
			 November 2003 88,900 
			 February 2004 90,700 
			 May 2004 105,700 
			 August 2004 110,600 
			 November 2004 112,500 
			 February 2005 113,300 
			 May 2005 115,100 
			 August 2005 116,900 
			 November 2005 116,900 
			 February 2006 116,600 
			 May 2006 117,500 
			 August 2006 117,300 
			 November 2006 116,900 
			 February 2007 116,000 
			 May 2007 115,500 
			 August 2007 115,200 
			 February 2008 113,200 
			 May 2008 112,400 
			 August 2008 111,000 
			  Notes:  1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred. Totals may not sum.  2. Figures have been uprated using 5 per cent. proportions against 100 per cent. WPLS totals. 3. November 2007 data is not available as DWP has not received this. 4. Pension credit was introduced on 6 October 2003 and replaced minimum income guarantee (income support for people aged 60 or over). The vast majority of people who were previously in receipt of the minimum income guarantee transferred to pension credit in October 2003.  Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate, 5 per cent. sample.

Calor Gas: Canvey Island

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will extend the public information zones for the Canvey Island  (a) Calor Gas and  (b) OIKOS sites; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 26 March 2009
	HSE determined the existing public information zones following a detailed assessment of the hazards and risks associated with the Calor Gas Ltd. and OIKOS sites in line with HSE'sHealth and Safety Executivepublished policy. There are no plans to extend these public information zones.

Calor Gas: Canvey Island

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what substance was spilled at the Canvey Island Calor Gas site on  (a) 15 and  (b) 25 October 2008; what volume of each substance was spilled; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 23 March 2009
	HSE was not notified by Calor Gas Ltd. of any spillage at its Canvey Island site on 15( )October 2008.
	HSE understands that Calor Gas Ltd. reported to Castle Point borough council a release of a stenching agent (ethyl mercaptan) on 10 October 2008 during maintenance work at the plant. This incident was not reportable to HSE.
	HSE was not notified by Calor Gas Ltd. of any spillage at its Canvey Island site on 25 October 2008.

Calor Gas: Canvey Island

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  when and to whom Calor Gas reported the spillages which occurred at its Canvey Island site on  (a) 15 and  (b) 25 October 2008;
	(2)  what the location was of the spillage at the Canvey Island Calor Gas site on  (a) 15 and  (b) 25 October 2008;
	(3)  what investigations have been conducted by the Health and Safety Executive into the spillages at the Canvey Island Calor Gas site on  (a) 15 and  (b) 25 October 2008; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the operation of the spill and leak detection systems during the spillages at the Canvey Island Calor Gas site on  (a) 15 and  (b) 25 October 2008;
	(5)  what information was provided to Canvey Island residents in the public information zone surrounding the Calor Gas site about the spillages at the site on  (a) 15 and  (b) 25 October 2008; and when it was given.

Jonathan R Shaw: HSE was not notified by Calor Gas Ltd. of any spillage at its Canvey Island site on 15 October 2008.
	HSE understands that Calor Gas Ltd. reported to Castle Point borough council a release of a stenching agent (ethyl mercaptan) on 10 October 2008 during maintenance work at the plant. This incident was not reportable to HSE.
	HSE was not notified by Calor Gas Ltd. of any spillage at its Canvey Island site on 25 October 2008.
	Calor Gas Ltd. has reported to HSE an incident involving the release of approximately 163 tonnes of liquefied propane gas from a bursting disc fitted to pipe work at its Canvey Island site during a routine ship to shore transfer of the liquefied gas from a marine vessel to a storage tank at the site on 27 October 2008. The liquefied gas was released into a catchment area specifically designed to contain spillages of hazardous liquids.
	HSE is currently undertaking a detailed investigation of the incident. The investigation includes an assessment of the effectiveness of the spill and leak detection systems at the site.
	In March 2003 residents in the public information zone (PIZ) surrounding the Canvey Island site were provided with information about the off-site consequences of possible major accidents. This included information about how people would be warned of an incident with off-site consequences, what action they should take and how they will be kept informed in the event of an emergency at the site.
	Calor Gas Ltd. did not warn or provide specific information to residents within the PIZ in relation to the incident on 27 October 2008 as the release was contained within its Canvey Island site.

Calor Gas: Canvey Island

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will meet a delegation including the hon. Member for Castle Point to discuss the safety of the operation of the Canvey Island Calor Gas site.

Jonathan R Shaw: Lord McKenzie of Luton (Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State [Lords] with responsibility for health and safety at work) will be happy to meet a delegation including the hon. Member for Castle Point to discuss the safety of operations of the Calor Gas Ltd. site at Canvey Island.

Calor Gas: Canvey Island

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment the Health and Safety Executive has made of the risk of a spillage at the Canvey Island Calor Gas site igniting.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 25 March 2009
	In 1997 HSE assessed the likelihood of a major accident at the Canvey Island site, including a fire and explosion from an unintended release of liquefied petroleum gas, as part of its role in advising the Hazardous Substances Authority on the site's application for a change to the hazardous substances consent.
	In 2005 HSE also assessed Calor Gas Ltd.'s safety report required by the Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations 1999 to demonstrate that they were taking all measures necessary to prevent major accidents at the Canvey Island site. HSE found no serious deficiencies in the safety report.

Natural Gas: Safety

Robert Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he plans to take to inform the public to the change in the scheme for registrations of gas fitters from Corgi to the Gas Safe Register.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Health and Safety Executive and the Gas Safe Register are publicising the change, notably through a range of television, radio, newspaper, sports and other advertising, and through a variety of other initiatives such as road shows in major shopping centres across Great Britain. Full details of the change are also available on the HSE and Gas Safe Register websites.

Nuclear Installations Inspectorate: Finance

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Pontypridd of 23 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 173-74W, what proportion of the time expended by the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate on the generic design assessment work conducted in the third and fourth quarters of 2008-09 has been recovered from the applicants to date; and what the monetary value of the recovered resource is for each quarter.

Jonathan R Shaw: 99 per cent. of the time expended by the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate on generic design assessment work in quarter 3 has been invoiced to applicants and one-third (394,454) has been recovered. HSE is awaiting payment of the remaining two-thirds whose value is 802,600, and this is expected shortly. The remaining 13,341 (1 per cent.) will be invoiced at the end of quarter 4. HSE invoices for its recoverable costs at the end of each quarter, hence none of the time expended in quarter 4, the current quarter, has yet been invoiced or recovered.

Pension Credit

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in the UK received the full pension credit because they had  (a) a low contributory state pension and  (b) no additional savings in 2007-08.

Rosie Winterton: The guarantee credit element of pension credit, an income related benefit, works by topping the recipient's net income (from all appropriate sources) up to their appropriate guarantee. It would not therefore, be appropriate to attribute entitlement to pension credit, to the absence of a particular element of a person's overall income.

Social Fund

Brian H Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was paid out from the Social Fund in the last five years.

Kitty Ussher: The information requested is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Social fund gross expenditure in Great Britain 
			   million 
			   Total including winter fuel payments  Total excluding winter fuel payments 
			 2003-04 2,773 858 
			 2004-05 2,829 867 
			 2005-06 2,898 917 
			 2006-07 3,012 997 
			 2007-08 3,015 944 
			  Note: The social fund consists of winter fuel payments, Sure Start maternity grants, cold weather payments, funeral payments, community care grants, budgeting loans and crisis loans.  Source: Annual report by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the social fund and, for winter fuel payments, the unrounded version corresponding to the table 3 entry at: www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/medium_term.asp

Social Security Benefits

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department has spent on each benefit delivery centre in each month since April 2006; and what assessment he has made of the efficiency of the centres in operation.

Tony McNulty: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has asked me to respond to your questions asking how much his Department has spent on each benefit delivery centre in each month since April 2006; and what assessment he has made of the efficiency of the centres in operation. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Information on the amount spent on each benefit delivery centre in each month since April 2006 is provided in the tables, copies of which have been placed in the Library.
	The key indicators used by Jobcentre Plus to measure the efficiency of the Benefit Delivery Centres are the Average Actual Clearance Times for claims and the number of claims processed per person per day i.e. productivity, both of which show an improvement in the efficiency of the Benefit Delivery network over the period since April 2006.
	There has been an increase in the average number of claims processed per person per day on Income Support of 58% from the position in 2006/07 to current performance levels in 2008/09. Similarly there has been an increase of 49% on Jobseekers Allowance over the same timeframe.

Social Security Benefits

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the  (a) minimum,  (b) average and,  (c) maximum amount of time required to complete each of the (i) previous and (ii) current versions of claims application forms for (A) means-tested and (B) non-means tested benefits; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: My Department does not undertake research in this area across our range of claim forms, principally because time taken to complete a form is very closely linked to each individual's abilities, their circumstances and which parts of the form need to be completed. Given this, research into this aspect would not necessarily deliver any meaningful outcomes.
	Customer testing has been conducted for claim forms introduced recently, such as the new employment and support allowance, and the results were taken into account before the forms were introduced. Major changes to content or new forms to be introduced are also tested with customers.
	Most new claims for benefit are now taken over the telephone and our contact centre operators guide claimants through the process. The number of new benefit claimants helped over the telephone by Jobcentre Plus contact centres in the period April 2008February 2009 was 6,734,620. 80 per cent of pension credit and state pension claims are made by telephone and 20 per cent. by paper form.

Social Security Benefits: Fraud

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the level of fraud and error losses in working age income support and jobseeker's allowance in each  (a) region and  (b) Jobcentre Plus district (i) in each year since Jobcentre Plus's fraud and error targets were launched and (ii) in each of the last 24 months.

Tony McNulty: The level of fraud and error in income support and jobseeker's allowance is estimated using results from a sample survey of benefit claims, which is designed to produce a robust estimate at the national level.
	The first Monetary Value of Fraud and Error (MVFE) target for Income Support/Jobseeker's Allowance (IS/JSA) in SR02 ran from a baseline year of 1997-98 through to 2005-06. During this period as well as the national estimates used to evaluate progress against the target, tables were also published that showed estimates of MVFE for Government Office Regions, which were equivalent to JCP regions from 2002.
	With the introduction of a new SR04 target in 2005-06 DWP statisticians analysed the historical regional estimates produced during SR02 to assess whether they had been a robust indicator of MVFE at regional level. Analysis showed that for many regions the estimates of fraud and error fluctuated substantially year on year. These fluctuations were judged to be due to the relatively small sample of claims investigated in any one region. Since the sample survey is designed to produce the best estimate at a national level, estimates of fraud and error at a lower geographical level are based on a small sample of claims and have a high risk of not accurately representing the amount of fraud and error for all claims in a region.
	Following this analysis DWP have not published regional estimates from 2006-07 onwards as they were judged to be not robust enough to meet the standards required of national statistics and there was a high risk that fluctuations in the estimates would be misinterpreted as indicating real change in fraud and error in the regions.

Social Security Benefits: Lone Parents

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how much he has allocated to fund the childcare costs of lone parents with young children wishing to return to work in 2009-10;
	(2)  from what source funding to cover the childcare costs of lone parents with young children wishing to return to work will come.

Kitty Ussher: As set out in the discussion paper on the next steps in implementing the Gregg Review (28 January 2009) we stated that the costs of childcare for lone parents with young children wishing to return to work are funded from the Department's core DELDepartmental Expenditure Limitedbudget, and from within that the budget allocated to New Deal for Lone Parents. The initial allocation for New Deal for Lone Parents for 2009-10 is anticipated to be 34 million(based on current assumptions and may be subject to change). We do not specifically allocate budgets for the various components of the New Deal for Lone Parents programme. However, in 2008-09 childcare costs have accounted for just over 18 per cent. of the total spend.

State Retirement Pensions

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the cost to the Exchequer of raising the state pension by  (a) 10,  (b) 25,  (c) 50 and  (d) 100 per cent.

Rosie Winterton: The net additional cost of increasing the basic state pension by 10 per cent. 25 per cent. 50 per cent. or 100 per cent. instead of the current baseline assumption of RPI or 2.5 per cent. whichever is the highest, in the year 2009-10 is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Uprating the basic state pension in 2009-10 by:  Net additional annual cost in 2009-10 ( billion, 2008-09 prices) 
			 10% 2.0 
			 25% 8.1 
			 50% 18.3 
			 100% 39.3 
			  Notes: Estimates are presented in net terms reflecting that the estimated savings from reduced income related benefit payments (pension credit, housing benefit and council tax benefit) have been deducted from the cost of increasing the basic state pension. The proportions of additional expenditure saved through reduced income related benefit payments have been estimated using the Department's Policy Simulation Model and are assumed to remain constant overtime. In the baseline costing for the financial year 2009-10 Treasury Economic assumptions consistent with the pre-Budget report 2008 have been used to model basic state pension uprating. Estimates are in 2008-09 prices and have been rounded to the nearest 100 million.  Source: DWP modelling

State Retirement Pensions

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of restoring the link between the basic state pension and earnings in each financial year between 2010-11 and 2014-15.

Rosie Winterton: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 20 April 2009,  Official Report, column 134W.

Train to Gain Programme

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions under what budget headings the 350 million spending on Train to Gain announced in the pre-Budget Report beyond spending already announced will be spent; and if he will make a statement.

Si�n Simon: holding answer 14 January 2009
	I have been asked to reply.
	Train to Gain is the Government's flagship service to employers to improve the skills for their employees and the productivity of their business.
	Small and medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) will be top priority for Train to Gain funds including the 350 million growth over the next two years which was announced in the re-budget Report. The 350 million is within the overall Train to Gain delivery' budget heading.
	The 2009-10 grant letter to the Learning and Skills Council sets out the budget for Train to Gain. Train to Gain is a growing programme and we plan to invest 925 million through Train to Gain in 2009-10 and this will increase to over 1 billion per year by 2010-11. Train to Gain is a demand-led service and as such it is not possible to predict the budget spend for 2009-10 for SMEs.

Vocational Training: Lone Parents

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 18 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1210W, on vocational training: lone parents, what steps his Department took in response to the results of the research into non-participation.

Kitty Ussher: The Department set up a project team to respond to the policy and operational issues raised by the report findings. A number of issues were identified, in particular training, childcare and raising the profile of New Deal for Lone Parents (NDLP) and, as a result, the following steps have been taken to address those issues identified:
	Refresher training and clear desk aids have been provided in the use of the Labour Market System. In addition, clearer guidance concerning the definition of participation in NDLP has been published;
	A range of strategies have been developed to help change the attitudes of parents and advisers to focus on the positive outcomes children gain from formal childcare;
	Key messages have been provided to Jobcentre Plus staff to emphasise the gains to be made by a parent moving into work and the impact on child poverty;
	A lone parent caseload strategy was developed to raise the awareness and understanding of NDLP and encourage advisers to explicitly promote its benefits and invite a greater number of lone parents to participate in the NDLP programme; and
	Jobcentre Plus delivered a series of workshops to lone parent advisers which focused on the key interviewing and influencing techniques that advisers need to assist lone parents engage with NDLP.